Horizon of Eternity
by Bardic
Summary: UPDATE: Nearly done with Chapter 01 edit. All I can say is that there's a lot more detail in the story now. Will update more.
1. Prologue: Whispers in the Dark

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity  
by Bardic

AUTHOR's NOTE: I wrote this fic a few years ago(with Kurisuchan as my penname) and sadly never got to finish it. Who knows, I might finally get on with the story.

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, I hope I made myself clear about that...

-

Prologue: Whispers in the Dark

-

The land was desolate; the remainder of what used to be a flowing grassland now mile upon mile of cracked, reddish brown earth baking in a desert-harsh sun. Hawks and other birds-of-prey wheeled under an almost ironic, beautiful and bright blue sky, filling the air with lonely hunting cries as they searched for food. Yet at several thousand feet above the ground the land was a picture of perfect serenity. The colored earth ran flat and unbroken except for the crescent hill formation in the area, as well as the man-made complex nestling within its shade.

A brittle stillness that was bound to be shattered.

Within the next few seconds a bright red point of light bloomed from the heart of the base, brilliant enough to be seen pulsing as far as where the camera was.A few moments later that point grew into a red dome that covered the entire structure. There was one more moment to see that fierce explosion before the reception broke into static noise.

"This was truly a terrible loss." The deep voice came from the darkness as soon as the footage was turned off.

"Indeed. Not only was Unit 04 the prototype for the further development of the mass production models; we also needed to see what the project's results were to decide if it was worth adding to the others." another voice drifted from the darkness.

Out of the dark five colored panels suddenly appeared as the men behind them began the discussion for this particular meeting.

"Not only that, but the total cost of creating the Second Branch in America combined withthe amount spent to create Unit 04 and the cost of the experiment is almost worth the recent extensive repairs on all three units that Gendou Ikari has."

Silence descended for a moment as the facts settled in. "Were there no other data or materials salvaged from the Second Branch?" another question came from a different man.

"The biggest loss was White Slave. All related materials and data regarding it and the project was lost, including any possible test data. All we have with us are the project's design plans and the theoretical results. Given these there is no possible way for us to replicate the project within our time constraints." answered one member.

"The findings of Unit 04's preliminary testing is the same as what we got for the others, and that was reportedly the only thing that they were able to do. The loss of personnel is hardly an issue. All the important people are either in NERV's main or with us."

"Not to mention that the data of the S2 engine replication system in Germany is already with us." another added."Our engineers are already into it, but what they say is that is still the best model they have seen so far, with the exception of the engine used by the angels."

"A scenario we truly did not anticipate." One of the men mused. "Will this affect the project's schedule?"

"Aside from the possible implemetation of Unit 04's experimental features, there is little by way of effect.White Slave was only the prototype after all; its purpose has already been served. As for the rest, we would have to wait and see."

Once again, silence descended as the members of SEELE pondered on the additional information given. Onename was suddenly growled by a member.

"Ikari."

"We have no proof as of yet. However, investigations are currently in progress. Besides this and Unit 01's acquisition of an angel's S2 engine, as well as the successful return of its pilot; those are the current hindrances he poses to us."

"As well as the acquisition of the remodelled Eva 03." added another member. "It left for Tokyo 03 just this morning from the Experimental Test Facility in America and is due sometime this afternoon, along with the newly selected Fourth Child."

As if on queue another screen opened within the dark confines of the meeting place, showing an Evangelion unit very similar to the previous Eva 03 as it was being readied for airborne transfer. "It is almost a surprise that the Americans had it ready merely three weeks after the orignal Eva 03 had been destroyed. Since then they set the former test pilot of the original Unit 03 as its official pilot and began extensive pilot training." the man with the thin voice said. The screen shifted from the Eva to a slim, blonde girl wearing a black plug suit. She was standing behind the railing of some building, apparently gazing at the far away horizon. Her name was flashed under the screen, including a short description.

"Faye Sarra Neumann." one of the members said, reading the girl's name aloud. "Selected by the Marduk Institution as the new Fourth Child shortly after the original was rendered useless. Besides, given everything it would have been almost impossible to convince the original Fourth Child to forgetall that happenedand pilot again, even if he could." The man paused for a moment before continuing. "Apparently, the First Branch in America refused to send her along with the original Eva 03 because they needed her to test the other Evangelion units America was currently developing." He barked a short laugh. "Now it's no wonder why the Americans were so vehement in blocking the movement for the production of Evangelion 06. They had Eva 03, Eva 04, and the Eva unit scrapped from the previous attempt to create Eva 04 as backup, which was now converted to that Unit."

The screen shifted again from the girl to the Eva.

"Nevertheless, the possession of this Unit won't be much of a problem for us. Unlike the completed Unit 4, this Evangelion was not installed with an S2 engine. Besides, from the data that our informants were able to gather, it seems that the pilot is still below that of those in Tokyo 03. Although she has spent a lot of time as a test pilot, her combat training was not extensive."

"Then she would be useful in helping delay the angels long enough for us to take a hand." the man with the deep voice said. "How long is our estimate for the project's completion?"

"Three hundred and sixty four days." answered the thin-voiced member. "Anything else would include unnecessary risk."

"Then it is up to this council to oversee the project to make sure it does succeed." the deep-voiced man concluded. "This meeting is at an end. Be assured that another meeting will be called if anything that needs our attention comes up."

With that the screen and the five colored panels winked out, leaving behind a darkness that was more ominous than before.

----------  
Horizon of Eternity Prologue  
----------


	2. Chapter 1: A Crying Doll

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity  
by Bardic

TIMELINE: It's been a few years since I've seen the series, so bear with me. The fic takes place during the anime episode where the angel "rapes" Asuka's mind, and forces NERV to deploy the Lance of Longinus to destroy it. I've tried to get as much of the facts in the Anime as I could, but please point out some stuff that I missed.

Update: This was part of the story that I wrote a couple of years ago. It had to go through much editing though, so it took me quite a while to get it up. Sorry for the delay.

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way...

Chapter 01: A Crying Doll

-

"If you don't speak your mind to her, your Eva won't move"  
- Rei Ayanami

-

For Asuka Langly Soryuu, it seemed that the confines of the elevator were stifling and uncomfortable. For one thing, the lights along the corners and in the ceiling seemed to shine a tad too bright. Also, the steady hum of the elevator as it made its way upwards was totally irritating. All that and more; there were simply too many reasons to name. Yet she knew that the lousy interior of a NERV elevator was not enough of a cause to fuel her anger. Her ire, she admitted to herself, was focused on the other person who shared the space with her.

Rei Ayanami stood calmly in front of the elevator door, waiting for her turn to get off. She did not say a word since Asuka determinedly entered the lift a short time ago, which suited the redhead just fine.

-If that's what she wants, then I'll be damned if I speak up first!- she thought grimly as she leaned on one wall, crossing her arms under her chest. Moments passed with no sound at all except for the elevator hum. Asuka gritted her teeth to keep from screaming with frustration as the awkward silence continued to stretch. She tried putting the First Child off her mind, but as she did other thoughts that she did not want to think about quickly replaced them.

She was losing it. All her hard work with her Eva and now she can't even handle one angel. All that effort to become the best, and now Shinji was far better than her. NERV can't even depend on her anymore. They'd send in Shinji for the job so that the mission won't fail. Never her now. All she would be now is backup, and with the rate that her Sync Ratio was dropping it won't be long before even Rei would be better than her.

That last bit made her anger flare again. -Never! I'll never be that pathetic! It isn't my fault anyway; it's the Eva's fault! I'm doing everything right, and the Eva's messing up my Sync Ratios!- she reasoned furiously. -I swear, if NERV would only fix my Eva properly I would regain my skill and be even better than Shinji,...-

"If you do not speak your mind to her, your Eva won't move."

The sudden break in silence surprised her, and it took Asuka a few moments to recover from being snapped out of her reverie. She rounded on Rei in a fury.

"You think I'm not trying?" her voice quivering with bottled rage. "You think its my fault?"

"Your Eva has a mind of its own." Rei answered calmly, her back still towards Asuka. "It knows you, and would only respond if you respond."

"That's stupid." Asuka sneered. "Eva's don't think. Why would they? Why would a weapon need to think?" Silence answered her. "Don't you try to ignore me!" More silence. Asuka straightened angrily and grabbed the other girl's shoulder, spinning Rei around to face her. "Just because you're Commander Ikari's favorite doesn't mean you have the right to act so aloof and ignore me, you doll!"

Unflinching red eyes met blue. "I'm not Commander Ikari's favorite." Rei's replied in her soft, almost dead voice. "And I'm not a doll."

If anything the answer fueled Asuka's rage all the more. "Yeah right! I can't believe that came from you! If I knew better, you'd kill yourself if the Commander tells you to drop dead!"

"Yes, I will."

The answer was as direct as a slap in the face. Asuka's eyes widened in disbelief and outrage. "Why you..." She growled, directing a full-armed slap at Rei. The sharp crack of its impact rang inside the elevator.

Asuka almost didn't notice the elevator door open, and when she did she slowly backed out, not even bothering to check which floor she was on. Her eyes never left the blue haired girl's impassive face even as one side started to redden from the blow.

There was no change. She WAS like a god damned doll.

"I hate you, you hypocrite!" Still no change. "I hate you! I hate everyone!" Rei's face remained an impassive mask.

Asuka fled down the long hallway, not being able to stand Rei's eyes any longer.

--

"We may have to replace the Pilot for Unit 2." Ritsuko spoke, her voice nearly lost in the vastness of the room she stood in.

As of late she seemed to grow accustomed to the Commander's office. She ignored the sheer size of the room itself, almost as large as the Central Dogma. The Diagram engraved on the polished, black marble floor hardly caught her attention as well. She was even used to the room's meager lighting, although it made reading from reports a pain. The only thing really different was that the Commander's desk, the only item in the room, only had one person behind it.

"She's useful as long as she can synchronize with her Eva." Gendou Ikari answered behind steepled fingers. "Besides, there are no ready spares to replace her with yet."

The callous reply made her pause. "If her current Sync Ratio drop average holds," Ritsuko began again," then we expect her to lose her ability to Sync with her Eva by the next 2 tests. As it is, her current Sync Ratio dropped from 72.06 to 60.17 within the space of 4 days. Today would be her fifth test to see if there are any improvements."

"Continue with the tests. If an angel attacks then have Unit 00 take point and assign Unit 02 as backup."

Even though inside she struggled with warring emotions, Ritsuko knew full well how futile it was to try to dissuade the Commander. "Understood." her own reply sounding hollow to her ears. She turned to leave.

"What is the remodelled Eva 03's ETA?" the Commander suddenly asked behind her.

"From the last status report they were about 2 hours from the 3rd NERV Experimental Base in Chuumon."

"Change them. Tell the pilots to deliver the Unit here at Tokyo 03."

Ritsuko's eyes widened incredulously. "You mean to activate Unit 03 here at the main base?" she asked, turning back to the desk. This time her usual restraint went off the window. "What of the risks involved? What if the disaster with the previous Unit 03 happened here? Inside the Geofront?" she demanded.

"The First Branch in America confirmed their success in the Unit's initial activation." Gendou answered, unruffled as always.

"Still, I highly recommend that we do the reactivation procedures away from the main base. The last incident was proof enough. If anything happens.."

"If such risk exists it is worth taking, especially in the condition we are in." he interrupted. "Unit 01 is to remain frozen until an emergency scenario requires it to be freed. We need every Unit we could use to fight and stop another angel attack."

"But Commander.." she insisted.

"You have your orders, Dr. Akagi." the Gendou cut in, his voice suddenly cold.

Ritsuko stood still as her mind raced. While the risks were high she also hated the fact that she agreed with him: they absolutely have to use all the Evas they could put their hands on if they were to raise their chances of surviving another angel attack. With a barely audible sigh she conceded yet again, and with a nod left the Commander's office to oversee his instructions.

---

The mournful song of the chelo filled the air as Shinji played the instrument, his fingers gliding along its strings. Mournful yet elegant and beautiful in its purity. He lost himself in the music, letting it calm him as his hesitant hands slowly gained the confidence he thought he left behind years ago. Memories flickered along the edges of his awareness, all seemingly pleasant and tranquil with never a hint of Evas or Angels. The boy barely paid any attention to any of them as he continued to play, making music that he never knew he was capable of.

Playing to forget, even for just a moment, who and what he was.

The apartment he shared with Misato and Asuka was empty save for himself. He tried his best to keep the rooms as neat as possible, never allowing it to become as messy as when he first walked in. He thought that because he was alone there was this empty feeling in the air, yet he knew that even if all of them were present the emptiness would remain. He sadly realized that even though the music of the chelo was indeed beautiful and soothing it would never replace the feeling of the home he thought he had found a few months ago. He wondered if things would ever go back to the way they were; when laughter and welcome still filled the apartment.

Idle thoughts started to creep into Shinji's mind as he continued to play, the pleasant now mixed with the unpleasant that he would rather leave alone, yet was helpless as the melancholic song coaxed them to surface.

Thoughts about Asuka. About how she seemed to be someone he could talk to even if at times she could be difficult. He somehow felt that she was never really angry with him, at least not until his Sync Ratio topped hers.

About Rei. About how he felt towards her and her relationship with his father, and how he thought of her as a co-pilot and maybe as a friend.

About Asuka being a friend and how he felt for her as a co-pilot.

About Misato. About how he felt towards her being his guardian, about how he could or couldn't imagine her as a mother, about how he hesitates at being her friend because she's older than him.

About his father, and how much pain and loneliness their relationship brought.

About NERV, and the people working in there. About Kaji, Ritsuko, Maya and many others.

About school, and how he stopped going to class since the day he got out of the Infirmary.

About his friends and how they were doing.

About Toji, and Eva 01.

His hands jerked still, cutting off the music raggedly. For a couple of moments the only sound in the room was that of Shinji's quiet breathing as memories flooded his mind, dark and violent. How he was helpless to stop what was done to his friend. How he watched as Eva 01's hand crushed Eva 03's entryplug with Toji still inside. Then the bitter memory of how he begged his father to get into Eva 01 again to stop the Angel from destroying the whole human race. Of how he accepted his place as one of few people with the capability of preventing the tragedy of another Second Impact from happening. How the responsibility of protecting the whole human race, something that should have been in NERV's capable hands or his father's, or even in some adult's hands who would know better, was suddenly thrusted to him and his co-pilots.

He heard the wooden floorboards behind him creak as someone else stepped into the room.

"That was very beautiful, Shinji. I never knew that you played the chelo." Misato said as she approached him. "Why did you stop?"

Shinji felt a twinge of delight and embarassment from the praise. "I'm not really good at it. It's been quite a while since I last played; I almost thought I've forgotten how." he replied. Unbidden memories flashed again, about covering his ears to block away Misato's cries of grief about Kaji's death. About convincing himself that couldn't help her while deep inside he knew he understood her pain. "So," he forced himself to ask, "how come you're early? I thought that you'd be up for an all-nighter today?"

Misato took the chair beside Shinji before answering. "They had to change the schedule for today. They suspended all routine activities except for Asuka's Sync Ratio test, so I guess I'm free." she shrugged.

Shinji's voice lost some of its forced cheerfulness. "How is she?"

"Her test results are getting pretty bad." Misato admitted. "She's been regressing for the past week. We're hoping that this'll blow over soon."

"Then I guess that means she's still angry with me." Shinji sighed.

"Don't worry about that. Hopefully she'll get her first good news by the end of today's test and be back in good spirits before you know it."

Shinji didn't want to think about what would happen if Asuka actually lost her ability to pilot Eva 02. Silence stretched awkwardly for a bit and Shinji forced another question out to fill the quiet.

"What's with today? Why did they cancel all routines?"

From out of the corner of his eye he saw Misato study him for a moment before answering. "They want all NERV's attention in overseeing the reactivation and testing of the new Eva 03 that's arriving here later."

"Eh? A new Eva 03's going to arrive here today?" For the first time in days Shinji was truly surprised. "When?"

"I've only heard about it yesterday myself. As for when, I guess it's about an hour from here."

Several strong emotions boiled inside Shinji as he was about to ask his next question. There was fear and anger, anxiety and curiosity. However hesitant he might seem about this conversation, he really didn't care how how this would sound to Misato.

"Who's the pilot? Somebody I know?"

Misato took a moment to study him again before answering. "Don't worry about that. It seems that America has a pilot for it and is sending her along with the Eva. Just like with Asuka in Germany."

"Her?"

"I think her name's Faye. Do you want to meet her?"

Shinji imagined how the new pilot would look like. At the thought of meeting her conflicting feelings clashed inside him. However, his eagerness was once again shadowed by his anxiety.

"Nevermind. I guess I'll just stay here. I'll get to meet her sooner or later anyway."

Silence blanketed the room again as neither spoke for a few long moments, Shinji staring at the chelo in his hands and Misato continuing to study him. Then as if to mock his words the cry of NERV's alarm siren drifted from Tokyo 03. Their moment of stillness lingered as both listened quietly to the siren's call.

"Well, looks like you're going to have to meet her today." Misato said seriously as she stood up.

Shinji stood with her, gently laying the chelo aside. For a few moments as he played he almost forgot who he was. Now, the wail of the siren was a grim reminder of the responsibility he accepted. He almost wished he could run away, but he knew now that if he did there would be no one else who would save humanity from the angels.

----

NERV's Central Dogma was a picture of ordered chaos by the time Ritsuko arrived. Tension hung taut in the air as personnel worked with frenzied intensity, doing what they were trained to do at such situations. Their actions spoke of veteran efficiency borne from previous missions, and she wasted no time in directing that experience.

"What's the status of the angel?"

"The target was sighted in low earth orbit over point of origin in the Pacific about 48 minutes ago." Hyuuga answered from his post. The main screen promtly changed to a satellite-camera view of the angel, which was something that looked like a huge bird of light. "It is presently 5 kms east of Tokyo - 03 and holding its position. Besides that, we have no other data."

Ritsuko studied screen for a moment. "What's our chance of interception?"

It was Maya who answered this time. "MAGI calculates the current interception percentage of sortied Evangelion units at 34.09 percent."

Ritsuko turned to the sound of the main door opening and found a slightly winded Misato.

"You're late." the blonde said flatly.

"Sorry." Misato gasped as she made her way next to her friend. "We were in the apartment when the alarm went off."

"We?"

"Shinji. Don't worry about him. He's already in the Boarding Area. So what's our status?"

Ritsuko took a moment to brief Misato regarding their current findings before turning to address the sortied pilots.

"Listen up. This is how the operation would go. Units 00 and 02 would simply wait in two areas: point and backup. Both units are to be equipped with the latest model of the self propelled positron cannon. If point fails, then backup must finish the target within the next shot. Understood?"

Both Rei and Asuka answered affirmative.

"Good." Ritsuko continued. "Now, Rei would be point. Asuka, you're backup."

"What! No way! I'll be point! Launching!" Asuka replied as she promptly launched her Eva to the surface.

"Asuka...!" Ritsuko barked.

"Let her take point." Misato interrupted, touching the other woman's shoulder. "It might be good for her, you know."

Ritsuko studied Misato's face for a moment, then sighed in agreement. "Alright. Rei, you'll be backup then."

"Understood." Rei answered before launching.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Ritsuko said as she turned to study the angel in the main screen. Misato remained silent, her eyes on the main screen as well.

"What's the status of Eva 03?" the Commander suddenly asked from his position.

"The transport ship was advised to head back to Chuumon due to our current situation." one personnel answered.

"Change the orders. Tell them to circle the perimeter of Tokyo 03 by 4 kms on the opposite side of the angel and ready Unit 03 for emergency activation."

"Understood, commander."

The two women shot veiled glances at Gendou as the order was given. Turning back to study the main screen where the angel remained in focus, Ritsuko heard Misato muttering her own statement a few moments past.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

Like before, the blonde scientist knew that there would be no answer.

-----

Asuka could hear her blood pound as she waited inside her Eva. No further orders were given since Ritsuko told her to wait for the operation's go signal. As it was, she knew she was very lucky that NERV Command let this breach in protocol pass without even a minor upbraiding, but then Asuka had nothing else to lose. It was either win this battle or remain as backup forever. Or maybe something even worse.

"Well, I'm here now. I'll show them all. I'll beat that angel by myself." she whispered.

Eva 02 lay in a prone sniping position covered in the shadow of a dummy building. The Eva's hands gripping the new positron cannon was steady and calm, in stark contrast to how Asuka felt presently. A few hundred meters behind lay her backup; Eva-00 was concealed even more than she was.

NERV's contingency plan in case she fails.

"Don't even think about failing." she harshly berated herself. "You can do it. It's just one angel. After this, everything will return to the way they were."

"Asuka!" the comm-screen with Central Dogma suddenly popped up, showing Misato's face as she gave the signal. "The angel has entered firing range. You know what to do."

"Of course! How hard can this be?" Asuka answered as she activated the targeting computer for the weapon, forcing every bit of her usual confidence in her voice while actually feeling none of it. She focused her attention on the computer's display system, watching as it computed the firing trajectory of hitting the angel.

"C'mon, c'mon...why the hell is this thing taking so long!" Asuka waited tensely, still watching the computations in front of her. Unwanted images flashed in her mind: of her suddenly being struck down by the angel, not even being able to fire because the computer was actually broken. Of her prematurely firing the weapon even before the lock-on. Those and similar thoughts played on her imagination and caused further emotional pressure, but somehow she was able to remain immobile until the computer finally gave the lock-on signal.

"FIRE!" Asuka screamed as she released all those pent-up emotions in one pull of the trigger. She braced herself as the recoil tried to push her back, and at the same time a bright beam of energy streaked from the mouth of the weapon, making its way towards the enemy.

It only took a few moments for the beam to reach low earth orbit. Then after a few more moments it proceeded to streak past its supposed target by a few hundred feet.

For a moment all that Asuka could do was gape uncomprehendingly at the lock-on signal still displayed on the computer. Then fear rode her emotions as she made a move to fire again. There was no response as she pulled the trigger. "Damn!", she cried frantically as she continued to pull at the trigger. "Damn! Cool down already! I have to kill that thing! I have to..."

A beam of what looked like sunlight shot from the angel and shined down on Eva 02. Asuka had a moment to actually feel SOMETHING move around her mind before she screamed in horror. Any attempt to stop the angel was futile; like a drill it continued to make its way deeper inside her mind, opening up memories and experiences she thought she had forever locked away. Making her see and experience those memories once more brought tears to her eyes.

"Stop! Stop it! Don't do this to me!" Asuka screamed in futility. "Stop raping my mind!" She realized she still held the weapon and began to fire blindly in the hope that she might somehow stop the angel. Beams of energy streaked in different directions, destroying anything in their path. Her tears came unbidden. "Stop it. Please! Someone help me!" she sobbed, putting her hands over her head. "Anyone, please! Not this. Don't do this to me!"

------

Misato watched a helpless Unit 02, horrified at hearing Asuka's screams.

"The pilot's mind is being contaminated!" Hyuuga barked as he read data from his screen.

"Rei!" Ritsuko called urgently.

"Hai." Rei answered. Within moments she had lock-on and fired. The energy beam arched over the horizon to smash directly into the angel's AT field with no visible effect.

"The distance between the firing zone and the angel is too great for the rifle's energy to penetrate that AT field!" Maya reported. "There would be no way for us to destroy the angel with the sortied weapons."

"Damn it." Misato growled, snapping out of her daze as she continued to watch the attack on Eva 02. "Eject Asuka and move Rei out of the area."

"No good! The signal is being rejected!" Aoba replied.

"Unbelievable." Ritsuko murmured as she too stared at the main screen. "Is it possible that the angel is interested in human experiences and memories?"

Misato shot her an incredulous look.

"Rei." the Commander said before she could speak. "Go down and get the Lance." At the sound of Rei's affirmative Misato rounded on him.

"Wait! Isn't that dangerous? What if the angel gets down there?" she demanded.

The lack of an answer confirmed something that Misato had discovered quite recently, in exchange for a terrible price. The memory of Kaji's death was still fresh in her mind. However, further thought was interrupted by Shinji's voice in the comm-link.

"Father! Let me launch! I can save Asuka." he pleaded from his Eva.

"Negative. We cannot risk the chance of Eva 01 being contaminated. You are to stay there until further orders." the Gendou replied, then promptly severed communications with Unit 01.

Misato continued to watch the events unfold at the surface. Asuka had stopped screaming a short while ago, and she hoped that the girl was still alright. "Hang on, Asuka." she whispered. "Help is on the way."

-------

-My mother?- she thought as she looked at the memory in front of her. -Yes, that's my mother.-

A body was hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling, its limp hand clutching a rag doll.

Asuka had gone silent a short while after being plunged to a semi-conscious state by the angel rampaging inside her head. Now even she was drawn in as it continued to violently rummage through her memories.

-I was so excited back then. The Second Branch just told me that they selected me to be the pilot of that big red robot they were building. I remember how proud I felt then, and even though I was a little anxious to be around my mother after she changed I still wanted to tell her. When I got home I found her like this.-

It was suddenly raining. There a lot of people wearing mournful black as her mother was slowly lowered to her grave. An elderly woman with tears in her eyes bent towards a flinty eyed young Asuka. "Go on, dear." the she said. "It's better to cry now than let it eat you up inside." The young girl looked up with a hard, determined expression before answering. "I'm alright. I don't need to cry. I'm stronger than I look."

-Am I? Really? It's been how many years since I said that and until now I still wan't to cry.-

Suddenly Asuka was a little older, wearing an older version of the red plug-suit she wore now. She still had that determined look on her face as she continued to train to be an Eva pilot.

-Yes, I remember this. I remember moving out of my aunt's place to live by myself. I remember thinking that being an Eva pilot is the only thing that I would ever live for. It was at this time that I vowed that I would be the best Eva pilot ever. I also wanted to grow up faster so that I wouldn't have to depend on anybody else but myself.-

-I remember that greatest feeling of elation the first time I was finally able to synchronize with Eva-02.- Asuka continued wondering. -'At last', I thought to myself then, 'all that work finally paid off. Now I am my own person.'-

Her memories shifted to the particular event that forced her to move from Germany to Tokyo 03.

-I was convinced that this fabled 'Battle of Tokyo-03' and the 'Third Child' that I kept on hearing about was more than a little exaggerated to emphasize NERV's superior capability to stop the angels. I could never believe then that someone, especially someone without my kind of training, could actually use an Eva and be able to defeat an angel. I guess at that time I simply could not accept that someone else could be better than me so easily.-

-Then there were those battles in Tokyo-3, where I showed the world my true prowess as an Evangelion Pilot. For what reason? I guess I pilot just to prove that I'm the best. It's part of who I am. Is it the only reason? What more? I...-

Her memories drifted to Shinji.

-Shinji. I won't ever accept that he's better than me. He's so childish and irresponsible. Plus, he's a coward. He runs away from his responsibilities. That's why I hate him.-

'You hate him because he isn't like you?' a girl Asuka seated in front of her asked.

Asuka looked around. She apparently in some doorless and windowless room, sitting on a chair across a table to a girl who looks like her when she was 4.

"Yes! That the coward is better than me is an insult!" Asuka shouted her reply.

'Hmm? I think you hate him because he's like you.'

Her eyes widened. "No way! I was never like him! I..."

'You hate him because what you see in him is what you're trying to hide from everybody else.'

Asuka started shaking her head in denial. "N-No. I'm stronger than that. I'm grown up..."

'You hate him because you know that deep inside you're just like him.'

The redhead covered her ears in an effort to stop listening. "NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE! I'M DIFFERENT!" she screamed.

'Then why do you run away?'

She looked up in surprise as soon as she noticed that the voice across her suddenly changed. She recognized that voice.

She hated it.

Rei in her plugsuit was sitting in front of her now, looking at her with those blood-red eyes that never changed.

Eyes like a doll's.

'Why do you hate me?' Rei asked her.

For a long moment silence answered that question, until finally a lone tear slowly made its way down Asuka's cheek. "I-" she swallowed as her shaking voice failed her. Then with a muffled sob she burst into tears. "I hate you because I lost my mother to a doll like you." she cried, cringing inside as words poured out of her like the tears she could not stop. "My mother died holding a doll that she thought was me. At first I didn't think so, but as I got to know you more you showed me that you're just like that doll my mother held. Why are you like that? Why do you act as if your life is someone else's to play with? Why don't you show yourself to everybody? Why do you hide?"

'Like you do? Why do you show yourself to everybody? Why don't you hide?'

"So they'd know that I'm not a doll! God damn it, why can't you see that?" she screamed in frustration.

'Is that so? Then why is it that you hide things even from yourself?'

The question was so sudden that Asuka was taken aback and didn't even have the chance to reply, as her memories were suddenly forced to focus on Eva-02.

'What does this mean to you?'

"Being a pilot is my life."

'Then if you can't pilot it anymore, what does that mean?'

"If I can't pilot it anymore then it means I'm a failure! Why are you asking me these stupid questions?" Asuka sobbed.

'Failure? Is that it? Failure to be the best? Why are you so afraid of this?'

"If I failed it means that I never changed." she wailed as her words continued to flow unbidden. "Failing means that I never grew up and never became strong. That I was as powerless as the time when my mother died."

'How about the others? Shinji, me, we all could help you. You simply can't do that all alone, right?'

"You just dont get it, do you? I don't want to trust someone else with something precious to me! I want to be able to protect my own happiness rather than letting someone else do it for me! I never want to feel helplessness like the time I saw my mother hanging from that rope!"

Asuka cried with her head between her hands, sobs ripping out of her uncontrollably. She no longer cared whether other questions were being asked, even if there was even anybody in front of her. -I can't do it! I'm too weak, too pathetic! Useless! I'm a failure! - Asuka savagely flogged herself with such thoughts even as she continued sobbing.

'Shhh. It's alright.'

Through the unbearable pain Asuka's eyes widened as she felt those arms embrace her softly, a gesture of love from her distant past. Even after all the terrible things that happened to her and more than ten painful years after, she will never forget that voice.

"Mother." Asuka gasped, clutching the figure in front of her with the desperation of a drowning girl clinging to a lifeline. There was no need for her to look; she closed her eyes and felt her mother's warmth and prescence, letting it soak up her pain.

'Shh. Hush now. It's alright.' Kyoko crooned softly to her child. 'You don't have to fight alone. I'm here, and I'm sure those you love also wish to be with you. They don't want you hurting like this. They will fight for you as hard as you fight for them if only you'll let them. We are all weak inside, but together we can share the burden of fighting for each other's happiness.'

-You don't have to be lonely anymore.-

At those comforting words she had the chance to face all the things she had kept locked away. -I don't have to be lonely anymore.- As she embraced her mother she simply allowed the tears to heal her pain; all that pent up grief and suffering finally surging out of her in a comforting rush. She lost track of time and had no idea how long she stayed holding her mother, losing herself to the warmth of that contact.

Eventually her crying subsided, and when she finally looked up she realized that her mother was gone. In her stead a double of herself in her red plug-suit now sat in front of her, smiling happily.

'I guess that's settled then. You know why you really want to be a pilot, right?' her double asked lightly. With that, everything seemed to vanish.

Suddenly Asuka was staring at the blank screen of the now silent entry-plug, the question ringing in her ears.

"It means my desire to protect what I love." she answered herself slowly, deliberately. "It means that I can't do it alone; I need others to fight for me too. I all those I love to be with me and protect what's precious to me. I fight for them. I fight with them."

"I fight because I never want to be lonely again. With them, I have the power to protect my happiness with my own hands."

Silent tears came again at her final acceptance of the truth about her conviction, and with it came the flood of feeling and awareness as Eva 02 reactivated.

--------

"Ma'am, Eva 02 is reactivating!" Hyuuga reported incredulously.

"What! What about her mind contamination!" Misato demanded.

"The angel stopped attacking several minutes after contamination passed critical point. However, for some reason contamination levels dropped from above critical to zero within the last ten seconds before Unit 02 reactivated."

-What did the angel do? Was it able to control Asuka's mind?- Misato thought frantically.

"Current Pilot signals and lifesigns?" Ritsuko asked briskly.

"Pilot lifesigns green and still no sign of any recurring mental contamination." Hyuuga answered.

"Harmonics normal. Nerve connections synchronized with ratio at...90.34." Maya read from her screen with a hint of disbelief.

"Asuka? Are you alright?" Misato asked the girl through the comm-link.

"I'm fine, Misato. How do I kill that thing?" she sounded like herself, albeit a little shaky.

This time Aoba answered the inquiry from the back. "Based on the distance that the angel advanced during its assault on Unit 02, MAGI calculations suggest that attacks from the self-propelled positron cannon now has a success rate of 72.2 percent. We can raise that to nearly 90 percent if the weapon were fired atleast 500 feet higher than ground level. However, the point weapon has been damaged beyond use. Unit 02 would have to make use of Unit 00's rifle."

"Unit 00 has just finished Lance retrieval and is making its way up." somebody else added.

-Damn. There's no way she could climb that high with that rifle.- Misato thought. While her mind raced to think of a solution Gendou suddenly spoke.

"Put Unit 03's pilot on-screen."

It took several seconds of delay before a pretty blonde girl with green eyes was focused on the main screen. "Yes, Commander?" the girl answered in accented japanese.

"Here are your orders. Launch from that transport and proceed to Point A on your mission map. Upon arrival you are then to assist Unit 02 in climbing to a specified platform which will be given to both of you later. Since you will be on battery power you are only limited to a minute of movement. If you've any time left make for the nearest supply building that provides an umbilical cable support. However, make sure you complete your objectives before then. Is this clear?"

"Roger that, Commander." the blonde girl affirmed. "Permission to launch?"

"Go."

Misato immediately addressed her crew. "Get those calculations and point out the best candidates for firing platforms nearest to where both Units are." As the room erupted with renewed vigor, Misato turned back to the main screen where the camera was focused on Unit 02 as it currently recalibrated Unit 00's backup weapon.

"How am I supposed to get on top of a 500 ft. building with this thing!" the redhead asked with a hint of petulance even as she shook the heavy rifle at the screen.

Misato can't help but smile as she heard the tone in that voice. It reminded her of the Asuka from a few months ago. -She's back.- Misato thought with a huge sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about that. Help is on the way."

----------

"Help's on the way? What do you me..?" Asuka cut off as she felt the ground shaking. To her it sounded as if something heavy was making its way toward her, and sure enough a few moments later an Eva similar to Unit 03 suddenly burst into view from one corner and was bearing down on her at full speed.

"Wha..?" Asuka gasped. However, command in Central Dogma had no time to entertain her. A platform suddenly sprang up a few hundred meters to her left, and almost immediately Misato started barking commands.

"That building to your left. That's where you're set to fire. Hurry up, both of you! We don't know what the angel could do next!"

With that Asuka's attention snapped back to business. Both Units rushed the target platform and as soon they arrived she laid the rifle down on one side before mounting Eva-03's braced hands.

"Ready?" a girl's voice asked her in heavily accented japanese.

It only took a moment for Asuka to recover from her surprise. "GO!" she yelled. She felt Eva 03 tense under her, then she was streaking for the top of building. Her hands caught the edge and she promptly hauled herself to the top. After a moment she turned back and caught the rifle that Unit 03 tossed from the ground. Without wasting any time she secured the latches of the rifle and reset the computer to initiate lock-on calculations. After a few moments the computer gave her the signal to fire.

This time no words were needed. With a scream Asuka pulled the trigger and braced against the recoil from the top of the platform. When the energy beam streaked for its target it hit dead center, smashing through AT field and incinerating the angel behind it. Bits of what was spared from the blaze shimmered and drifted down from the sky, looking for all the world like magical summer snow.

Inside the entry-plug Asuka simply laid back, releasing a great sigh of relief. She felt wonderful; as if a whole mountain of worry had been lifted off her shoulders.

It felt as if it was her first time to pilot Unit 02 again.

"Thank you." she whispered to her Eva as put her arms around the front of her cockpit. She imagined herself embracing her mother, and her voice caught as she was again overwhelmed with relief and joy. "You know how much this means to me. You've given me back my life."

Her comm-link screen suddenly popped up, revealing Misato as she sported a huge grin. "Nice job, Asuka." she congratulated. "Get back here. We've got things to do, and there's someone you should meet."

With that the screen winked out and Asuka was left alone again. Alone yet she felt the strands that connected her to all she loved. After another moment of savoring the sweet taste of true victory she headed back home, eager to be with everyone again.

-----------

CHAPTER 01 END

-----------

AUTHOR's NOTES:

Ok guys, I need help. Can anybody point me to a good Evangelion reference site? I kinda need to refresh my memory of the events that happened after this particular episode in the Anime if I'm to determine the direction of the plot from here. Also the plot lines from the Eva movie(s) would help greatly.

Also, could anybody comment on the Shinji/Asuka monologue parts? I want to know what you guys thought about that. I'm kinda worried that I might not have gotten their characterization correct. Do you guys agree or disagree?

Got any questions? Feel free to ask them. :D

I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I could(Heh, your help and comments could speed it up though). Thanks to all who read this. :D


	3. Chapter 2: Children of Marduk

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity  
by Bardic

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way...

-

Chapter 02: Children of Marduk

-

The blast of cold air felt clammy against Asuka's bare skin as she stood inside one of NERV's numerous decontamination chambers. As soon as she arrived at the base a battalion of NERV medics in hazmats immediately rushed her here where she had stayed for the last half hour. Normally she'd be annoyed by such a callous welcome, but right now she had a lot of things to reflect on. Without meaning to a sigh escaped her.

"Something wrong?" Faye asked from another decontamination unit beside her, her voice sounding tinny through the comm-link speakers.

It was at the stripping room prior to these chambers that Asuka finally got to meet her newest co-pilot. Though their introductions were short she definitely caught a good vibe from her. Slim, blonde and pretty with clear green eyes and a firm voice, Asuka got the feeling that getting along with her would be a pleasure.

"It's nothing, really." the redhead answered after a moment. "I mean, I know I should be pretty happy right now after all that's happened, but..."

"Hey, don't strain yourself. Let those feelings ...ahh... work..themselves out." Faye finished her sentence hesitantly, obviously suffering from a loss in translation.

"Thanks." Asuka smiled to herself, grateful for the other girl's concern. -We've got to work on her Japanese, though.- she thought absently. "Did you get to meet everybody yet?"

"Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi greeted me with the medics back at the hangar. I've met the Commander before when he visited America." the blonde replied. "Then there's Ayanami Rei-san and Ikari Shinji-san, both of whom I haven't met in person."

At the mention of the last two names Asuka felt her old feelings for them return. Both disdain and dislike seethed inside her, their bitter taste filling her mouth. She took a deep breath and pushed both emotions away, the task taking no small effort. -I'm the one with the problem, not them.- she reminded herself gently before speaking to Faye.

"Both of them are nice, even if a bit weird. Rei's got a trauma of sorts, so she seems highly subdued and anti-social most of the time. Shinji ..well.. he's an idiot, but I guess he's a nice guy." Asuka said, slightly embarassed by the last bit.

"Ohh, I'm sure Shinji will be thrilled to hear that from you." Misato suddenly teased through the comm-link.

Asuka felt her cheeks heat up but let the barb pass. "Are we done yet? How much longer are we supposed to freeze in here?" she complained instead.

"Don't worry. You guys are about done." Misato chuckled. "Ritsuko would like to have a word with you though."

-No doubt about my experience regarding that last attack- Asuka sighed. "Sure, whatever gets us out of here."

"What about me?" Faye asked.

"You, my dear, are coming with me. We still haven't talked about your living arrangements." Misato answered after a moment. If Asuka didn't know better she'd say that woman was feeling a bit peevish over something. Faye simply voiced her consent.

"What's the matter Misato? Something wrong?"

From the comm-link Asuka heard Misato sigh. "Nevermind, Asuka. I'm gonna explain it to you as soon as you get home."

Suddenly she heard the air ducts snap shut and the fans switch off. A moment later the door behind her slid open, the cool mist around her feet escaping as it clung close to the ground. As she prepared to get out of the decontamination chamber Asuka wondered just what in the world was it that got Misato ticked off.

--

:SOME TIME EARLIER IN RITSUKO'S OFFICE:

Misato was chatting animatedly with Ritsuko, perched on a chair with her feet comfortably up on the blonde's desk. Ritsuko was finishing a cigarette and was about to add it to the substantial pile in her dirty ashtray when the subject of Faye went up. She reached for a folder, then told her companion about the nature of the details.

"WHAT!"

Misato's feet suddenly thumped loudly on the floor as she gave her friend an incredulous stare. Ritsuko noticed her eyes bulging and promptly informed the other woman about it.

"You've got to be kidding." Misato said flatly.

Ritsuko said she wasn't. In fact, she even read the details from the folder and explained the orders; about why it had to be this way. As she went on Misato slowly deflated until all the resistance she could muster was some feeble arguement.

"She won't fit. We're already pretty crowded in there. She might even run away." warned the purple haired woman in an a tone that the blonde scientist supposed was meant to sound intimidating.

Ritsuko poured herself a cup of coffee and pointed out that Misato has two spare rooms in her apartment. That finally took the fight out of the other woman, although she was still sulky about the whole thing.

"I guess I'd better go tell her about this then. Give me that damn file." Misato growled sullenly as she stood up.

Ritsuko handed the file to her with a reminder that she send Asuka up for their debriefing. Then she watched Misato stomp out of her office while browsing through the papers. -Anytime now.- the blonde scientist cocked her head in anticipation, sipping her coffee.

"WHAT!" Misato's muffled yell came from beyond the closed door.

Ritsuko leaned back on her chair and smiled.

---

"So that's how it's gonna be." Misato told Faye as they rode the elevator toward the parking area.

-I guess I should have expected something like this, considering where she grew up.- she noted as she eyed the girl's outfit. Faye was dressed in cropped denim shorts and a dark-green army tank top open at the midriff, with supple leather boots and a black baseball cap worn in such a way to allow her blonde pony tail to hang at the back. The outfit displayed a lot more of her slender flesh than most local girls would be comfortable showing in public, and she hardly seemed to notice that fact. -I doubt even Asuka would be willing to wear something like that in public.- she mused.

"Are you sure you guys are ok with this?" Faye asked as she shifted the travel bag slung over her shoulder. "I can always look for my own place, you know."

"Well, this is a direct order from NERV. The organization wants to have pilots stay in one place so that they would be easier to track, protect and supervise." Misato explained, if a bit lamely. "Also, they didn't want to deprive you the pleasure of a normal household. So there you have it."

"It's totally fine with me." Faye shrugged. "I just hope the others won't take this the wrong way."

"Well, Asuka seems to like you. You don't have to worry about the others." Misato assured her.-I'm not sure how Shinji would react though. I sure hope he finds all this a pleasant surprise, rather than freak out.- she added to herself.

With an electronic chime the elevator stopped and both women promptly got off. They walked in silence, their footsteps reverberating in the cavernous interior until they stopped in front of Misato's blue car. "Here we are." Misato announced as she unlocked the doors. "Get in." Faye obediently sat next to the older woman.

"So," Faye began as she fastened her seatbelt, "how long does it take to drive to your place from here?"

Misato paused as she thought about it. "Oh, usually about 15 to 20 minutes, tops." she answered, buckling herself up.

"You must live pretty near the base then." the girl concluded.

-Near? Yeah right. More like...Ohhh.- "I guess you can say that." she turned to Faye and winked before gunning the engine, grinning impishly.

Moments later the car roared out of the parking area with a horrified Faye seen clinging desperately to anything she could hold on to.

----

Rei sat quietly within the confines of her now empty, dilapidated apartment. The quiet atmosphere within was broken regularly by the sound of heavy construction being done nearby. Being so used to it by now the ruckus normally goes unnoticed, but at the moment they could be pounding right next to the girl for all they're worth and still get no attention from her. Lost in thought, her eyes remained fastened to the object she cradled in her hands, oblivious to the world around her.

When Dr. Akagi informed her of the sudden change in her living arrangements she hastily returned home, worried that somebody might take her most prized possession. As soon as she arrived she was relieved to see that while the porters went through her things already, what she looked for was right where she left it.

-How long have I left it there?- she realized with a start, noticing that it collected quite an amount of dust. What was more confusing to her was that now that she was looking at it she didn't feel anything special that held her to it, unlike before. She took the case from her desk and dusted it off, and since then she hadsat on her chair with it in her hands, trying to remember how she felt before whenever she held it like this.

With a snap she opened the case and gazed at the Commander's cracked wire-frame glasses. This was her treasure since that time he saved her from a berserking Eva 00. Yet now as she beheld it she discovered that it no longer evoked the feelings it once had. Her confusion grew, and with it came the unfamiliar feeling of anxiety.

-I don't understand. He saved my life. How can I forget that?- came the bewildered thought. -I was expendable, yet he hurt himself to save me. He made me feel special despite my unimportance.-

-You ARE special. How many times do you think Shinji and the others saved your life?-

Rei's eyes widened as she listened to that fading, disconcerted whisper.

It was happening again. Try as she might she could not imagine where the thought came from.

Of late she began to notice that she had been getting unfamiliar thoughts and impulses. At one of those impulses she bought a culinary magazine and startedto teachherself how to cook. Another effect was her growing wariness and discomfort whenever she was around Commander Ikari, which fast became puzzleto her. Now this; telling herself that she was special even knowing full well just how disposable she was.

-Yet why did Commander Ikari save me at that time? The others too. Shinji, Akagi-san, Katsuragi-san, NERV and everybody else. Why do they treat me as if I was special?- she pondered, realizing that the errant thought from a moment ago did in fact hold some truth.

-What about the others like me? Are they significant too? Besides knowing that they are all me I still don't feel anything special from them.- she continued, picturing the dark room with the huge vat that contained all her other selves. -Are they really like me? They don't speak, hear or breathe like I do. Is that what makes me so different from all of them? So ...special?-

She laid the open case with the cracked glasses on her desk, preoccupied with this puzzle that was suddenly brought to her attention. She never really cared about what people thought of her, yet had held on to the belief that the Commander considered her to be important. Then there were the undeniable actions of her peers as they continued to treat her the same way, albeit in varying degrees. They are curious about her. They worry about her. Whenever she goes into a mission she was always part of the team; her role serving a purpose rather than just being thrown negligently into the heat of battle in the hope of distracting the enemy. Whenever something goesawry she is not sacrificed, and people go to great lengths to try and save her. What she could not understand was why.

-Who am I, really? Am I special, despite being replacable?-

She had been asking these questions for as long as she can remember. After a lifetime of searching the only certain thing she knew was that the answers do not lie within her. There was a time when the Commander seemingly gave her some hope of a clue, but for some reason that was now gone. Instead a new path to her goal had been pointed out; one she ignored before, yet must travel on if she truly desires to understand who and what she is.

Having accepted what she must do she finally stood up, noting the sudden absence of the noise that usually fills the air of her former home. She paused, allowing herself to experience such a rare moment in her life. She suddenly felt a number of unfamiliar emotions crowd her chest and tried to identify all of them: there was anxiety, happiness, and anticipation. As soon as they were gone she sighed at the sudden emptiness that she felt, then quietly turned and walked out the door, making her way toward her new home.

Back inside the room all the disturbed dust in Rei's wake floated down as they settled, many finding their way into the open case and the broken wire-frame eyeglasses as it lay forgotten in the wooden desk.

-----

The car screeched to a halt, leaving skid marks across the neat paint that designated each vehicle's parking space. With a wide grin Misato watched Faye hastily climb out of the car with unsteady legs.

"Aww, c'mon. It wasn't that bad, was it?" the purple haired woman teased as she got off the car from her side.

"You said it was a 15 minute drive." the girl croaked.

Misato checked her watch. "Wow. About 9 minutes?" she said innocently. "That's got to be a new record." She watched as the girl took a couple of deep breaths in an effort to calm herself.

"What's with you? You got a death wish or something? I could have sworn you never took your foot off the pedal!" Faye shouted, obviously still a little shaken.

-I guess I overdid it.- she thought sheepishly. "Hey, don't worry about it. I was just in a hurry to get home. I usually drive slower than that." came her lame attempt at an apology. She ignored the girl's skeptical look. "Are you gonna be ok?" she asked, pointedly glancing at the girl's unsteady legs.

"I'll manage." Faye said through clenched teeth.

"Good, let's get going." Misato said as she started for the apartment complex. After a moment the girl fell in beside her and together they walked in silence. Once they climbed past the ground floor stairs Misato immediately spotted one of her new wards waiting by the door to her apartment, a small piece of luggage at her side. "I guess Ritsuko already told her then." she grumbled under her breath.

Faye glanced at the girl curiously. "Who's she?"

"Ayanami Rei. One of your new housemates." Misato answered shortly before calling the other girl over. "Rei! Over here!" she waved.

Misato admitted that she was flabbergasted when she first read in the file that Rei was supposed to live with them too. For some reason she simply could not picture the reticent girl living in such a colorful, lively environment. It was Misato's opinion that adding this much chaos in her life on such short notice could have a detrimental effect on the girl.

-God knows how hard it was to get Shinji to live here normally. I know she probably won't say anything but I really hope she's ok with all this. I wouldn't even have the slightest idea of how to handle things if ever SHE freaks out.- Misato fervently hoped.

As they approached Rei straightened from where she was leaning, her eyes on Faye. The blonde girl noticed the attention being given to her and immediately stepped forward, offering her hand. "Hello Rei-san. I'm Faye." she cordially greeted. Rei's gaze shifted to her extended hand. Misato held her breath as a few uncomfortable moments passed with Faye continuing to hold up her hand awkwardly, until finally Rei's right hand slowly rose and shook it.

"Hello..." the other girl hesitantly replied.

-Ok, so far so good.- Misato thought as she slowly released her breath. Without wasting any time she had the front door unlocked. "All right. Now go inside, both of you" she said, herding both girls toward the apartment's interior. -Now all I have to do is tell Shinji and Asuka. Piece of cake.- came her cynical thought as she closed the door behind her.

------

With a tired sigh Asuka closed Ritsuko's office door behind her, grateful to finally be allowed to return home. As she expected, the blonde scientist grilled her over what she had experienced during the angel attack. However, it was obvious that she was restraining her intensity and making an effort to be gentle, no doubt at the redhead's expense. It was all the better for Asuka since she had absolutely no intention of EVER sharing what she experienced with anybody. -It's bad enough that my shortcomings were slapped on my face. I don't even want to think how I'd feel if EVERYBODY else knew about them.- she mentally snorted. So by the time she was about to enter Ritsuko's office she already had her alibi ready.

-'I really don't remember much after I passed out' she remembered herself saying, not hesitating to put out a bit of acting to make her story sound believable. 'It was like some disjointed dream. Then I suddenly felt safe, as if my mother was there with me. The next thing I knew I awake and the Eva was reactivated.'-

She knew the whole story that she made up was weird enough for a dream and contained enough truth to make it plausible. It was her hope that the speech would convince Ritsuko to pass off all that happened as just some form of semi-conscious delirium. Yet the weird thing was that Asuka had the distinct impression that the older woman heard the answer that she expected.

-'Your mother, you say?' she remembered the scientist murmur from her seat. -'Very interesting, Asuka. Thanks for your time. Go home and rest up. We still have a lot of testing in store for you these next couple of days.'- With that she was shown the door, with such abruptness that she wondered if she accidentally blurted something other than her spiel.

She continued to mull over the entire conversation even as she took the train home. The more she thought about the whole thing the more suspicious she became, especially Ritsuko's seeming lack of interest toward her mother.

-I remember that mom was one of the head scientists back in Germany.- Asuka mused, suppressing the sharp pang she felt at her mother's painful memory. -I was told then that after an experiment she suddenly became mentally unstable. I bet Ritsuko knows something about that, from the way she reacted.-

When the train finally stopped at her station she immediately got off, making a mental note to dig deeper into this puzzle about the nature of her mother's line of work. Satisfied that she had that issue settled Asuka stretched, wincing as some of her sore muscles protested. -What I want now is a long, hot bath.- she imagined with a dreamy smile. Once she finally caught sight of their familiar apartment complex she quickened her pace, eager to be off relaxing inside the tub. A minute later Asuka was already in front of the apartment door. Seeing that it was unlocked she opened the door and peeked inside. She immediately noticed 3 pairs of shoes at the entrance, one of which was Misato's. -We've got guests?- she wondered. "Misato?" Asuka called as she closed the door behind her and took off her shoes.

"Asuka! Get in here, we've got something to talk about." she heard the woman reply from the dining room.

Much to Asuka's irritation, it would be quite a while before she got that bath she hoped for.

-------

The sky was already dark when Shinji finally found his way back to Misato's apartment. As soon as he left NERV early this afternoon he had been wandering around aimlessly in Tokyo 03, wrestling with a problem that he felt he had to face.

-Asuka.- Ever since he failed to muster enough courage to congratulate the girl for her victory back at the base he had left NERV in an effort to clear his head. Since then he had tried to think of other ways to resolve this issue with the redhead.

His first impulse, of course, was to avoid her. At first he strongly wanted to go home early then immediately go to sleep, thereby eliminating any need to face the girl until the next morning, where he planned to stay inside his room until she left. As tempting as it was though he decided against it and favored facing his fear head-on, congratulating the girl personally. -I'll still be living with her so I guess it would be much better if things were smooth between us.- he reasoned, telling himself that he made the right choice. However, thoughts on how Asuka would react continually nipped at his determination and made him hesitate, and thus he planned on staying away from home until he gathered enough courage face the fiery girl. The result was him arriving home a lot later than he expected while butterflies gamboled inside his stomach.

He slowly climbed the stairs and trudged to the door, noting with rising dread thatthe apartment's lights were on. -She's here!- came the panicked thought as his heart raced. He felt the strong impulse to turn and walk the opposite way but he forced himself to continue toward the door. A few moments later he was standing right in front of it, his stomach still churning and his heart trying to beat a hole out of his chest.

-Here I go.- Shinji took a deep breath and braced himself as he entered.

"I'm home." As soon as he spoke he noticed 4 pairs of shoes at the entrance. -Guests? At this late?- he frowned in confusion. However, before he can even bend over to untie his shoes two familiar voices shouted their reply from the dining room, their respective tones making him wince.

"Shinji! Do you have any idea what time it is? Get in here quick!" Misato shouted testily.

"Shinji! What the hell took you so long! You better get your butt here quick before I dragit in!" Asuka screeched acidly.

When Shinji got to the dining room a few moments later he was unprepared for what was waiting for him. He saw four women sitting at the dining table, eating what appeared to be instant ramen. Misato was in her uniform, arms under her breasts as she scowled at him. Rei was wearing her school uniform, seemingly undisturbed by the commotion as she continued to eat from her bowl. A very pretty blonde girl wearing skimpy shorts and a green top, whom he guessed was the new Unit 03 pilot, gave him a sidelong glance as she drank soup from her ramen. Finally Asuka, still in her school uniform, stood from her place at the table with her hands planted on her hips, fixing him with a glare that threatened to burn him on the spot.

"Wha..?" he began.

"You idiot! What took you so long?" Asuka exploded, waving an angry finger at him. "Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting for you? I can't even take a stupid bath because you had to get yourself lost and then took your sweet time to get home!" she fumed.

"That's enough, Asuka. We've still got things to talk about, or don't you want that bath?" Misato reminded her.

The redhead opened her mouth as if she still wanted to continue with her tirade, then seemed to decide against it. "You haven't heard the last of this, Shinji." she hissed at him as she sat down.

"Now as for you," Misato cooly said as she turned her attention to the boy, "get yourself on that seat and eat your ramen". She pointed imperiously to the emptychair with an unopened bowl of instant ramen beside Faye.

Shinji slowly obeyed, eyeing the new girl timidly. "Ahhh, Misato-san," he began hesitantly, "isn't it a little late for Ayanami and her to be here? I mean, how are they supposed to get home?"

Misato's face was a carefully composed, unreadable mask. "They ARE home, Shinji. Rei and Faye are going to be staying here from now on."

Shinji froze as his mind went over what Misato just said. Then it went over the statement again. Then it suddenly hit him.

"EEEEHHHHHH!"

Misato studied Shinji's stupified expression. -I should have known.- she thought sourly. "Shinji, close your mouth and just eat your damn ramen." she sighed, resigning herself to the hellish task of getting this household back on track.

----------

End of Chapter 02

----------

AUTHOR's NOTES:

Got questions! Don't hesitate to ask:D

Q n A:  
1.) Am I going to have pairings in the fic? (SxA, SxR, etc)  
--- As of now I don't have any specific pairings in mind. See, what I try to do is get the characters as 'in-character' as possible and allow them to interact with one another in certain situations (such as putting them all togetherunder one roof). Given that, I see that possibility of future pairings making themselves known as the fic progresses.

XD.

Thanks to all who read. Don't forget to review. :D


	4. Chapter 3 TEASER

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity  
by Bardic

-

Chapter 3 TEASER

-

"SHINJI YOU PERVERT!"

Misato awoke with a start at the sounds of muffled shouting from the dining room. Her hands slowly felt around in the dark for her alarm clock and due to her disorientation it took quite a while to find something that was virtually right beside her. She groaned as she read the time.

-Jeez, its 4:30 in the damn morning! What the hell are they fighting about now?- she thought as she got up, rapidly getting angrier by the minute. She had never been a morning person and being jerked awake this way did wonders to heat her temper. By the time she threw her door open to reveal the pair as they yelled at each other she was practically seething.

"Would you two shut up! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Misato snapped.

Both Shinji and Asuka jumped in surprise at the sound of Misato's door violently hitting the wall. The redhead looked as if she herselfjust woke up. Her hair was disheveled, and the oversized pink cotton shirt that she wore,with its light yellow teddy bear stitched near the lower left corner, was apparently bed-wrinkled. Shinji, however, looked fresh out of the bath. His hair was slightly damp; he was wearing his shirt and shorts and had his equally damp towel draped over his neck.

"It's this pervert's fault!" Asuka began, pointing an accusing finger at the boy. "I just got up and was about to use the bathroom when I noticed him waiting inside, naked!"

"I WAS NOT WAITING INSIDE!" Shinji said hotly even before Asuka finished. "I was taking a bath when YOU walked in on ME!"

"Hmph. Yeah right. What kind of idiot takes a bath this early in the morning?" Asuka snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I didn't know better I'd say that you were waiting for Faye-chan. I swear, living with four women finally pushed you over the brink and brought out the pervert in you."

"Hmm? Who was waiting for me?" Faye yawned.

Misato turned at the sound of the girl's voice and found her leaning against the open door to her room, covering her mouth with a hand. She wore a clinging, dark green nighty with matching silk shorts. A few moments later Rei emerged from her room as well; standing in matching light blue pajamas while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Shinji was. Right inside the bathroom, too." Asuka said smugly, ignoring Shinji's indignant sqwawk.

"It's your fault for not knocking!"

"I ALWAYS use the bathroom at this hour and I've NEVER knocked before."

"The lights were on, for crying out loud! You should have noticed that someone else was inside."

"How should I know? I thought Misato left it open before she went to bed. That's no excuse for you to go ambush me, you know."

"Why would I even bother waiting at the bathroom at this early? And who would want to 'ambush' you?"

"Cause you're a PERVERT!"

"Stupid girl!"

Misato rubbed her fingers around her temples as the shouting resumed. -Ohh, my head's starting to hurt. Damn kids.- she sighed. -This is starting to look like a very looong day.-

--TEASER END XD--


	5. Chapter 3: Dealing with Cards

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity by Bardic

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way...

-

Chapter 03: Dealing with Cards

-

"SHINJI YOU PERVERT!"

Muffled shouts from the dining room woke Misato with a start. Her hands slowly felt around in the dark, hunting for her alarm clock. Due to her groggy confusion from waking up so suddenly it took quite a while to find something that was just two feet beside her. She picked it up, held the clock to her face and groaned as she read the time.

-Jeez, its 4:30 in the damn morning! What the hell are they fighting about now?- she thought as she got up, rapidly getting angrier by the minute. She had never been a morning person and being jerked awake this way did wonders to heat her temper. By the time she threw her door open , revealing the guilty pair as they continued to yell at each other, Misato was a seething mass of early morning grouchiness.

"Would you two shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep!" Misato snapped.

Both Shinji and Asuka jumped in surprise when Misato's door gave a loud 'thwack' as it hit the wall hard. The redhead looked as if she herself just woke up. Her hair was disheveled and the oversized pink cotton shirt that she wore, with its light yellow teddy bear stitched at the lower left corner, was visibly bed-wrinkled. In contrast, Shinji appeared fresh out of a bath. His hair was slightly damp with an equally damp towel draped over his neck, and he was wearing a fresh shirt and shorts.

"It's this pervert's fault!" Asuka began, pointing an accusing finger at the boy. "I just got up and was about to use the bathroom when I noticed him waiting inside, naked!"

"I WAS NOT WAITING INSIDE!" Shinji said hotly even before Asuka finished. "I was taking a bath when YOU walked in on ME!"

"Hmph. Yeah right. What kind of idiot takes a bath this early in the morning, anyway?" Asuka sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I didn't know better I'd say that you were waiting for Faye-chan. I swear, living with four women finally pushed you over the edge and brought out the pervert in you."

"Hmm? Who was waiting for me?" Faye yawned.

Misato turned at the sound of the girl's voice and found her leaning against the open door to her room, covering her mouth with a hand. She wore a clinging, dark green nighty with matching silk shorts. A few moments later Rei emerged from her room as well, standing in her matching light blue pajamas while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Shinji was. Right inside the bathroom, too." Asuka said smugly, ignoring Shinji's indignant sqwawk.

"I was not waiting for anybody! If anybody's at fault, it's you! You didn't even knock!"

"I ALWAYS use the bathroom at this hour. Nobody else uses it this early and I never needed to knock before."

"Well, somebody was using them today. The lights were on, for crying out loud! You should have noticed that someone else was inside before you went barging in."

"How should I know? I thought Misato left it open before she went to bed. That's no excuse for you to go ambush me, you know."

"Why would I even bother waiting at the bathroom at this early? And who would want to 'ambush' you?"

"That's because you're a PERVERT!"

"You...s-stupid girl!"

"What did you say?"

Misato rubbed her fingers around her temples as the shouting resumed. -Ohh, my head's starting to hurt. Damn kids.- "Shinji-kun.", she interrupted firmly, cleanly cutting off the racket. "Why WERE you taking a bath this early, anyways?" She fixed him with a knowing look. "You weren't thinking of going to school by yourself, were you? I thought I specifically told you last night that you should all go together?"

Shinji shifted uncomfortably before answering. "No! I..ah..I just wanted to get up early..and..help fix breakfast." the boy finished weakly.

"If he wants to go on ahead to school by himself, let him." Asuka sniffed dismissively. "Who'd want to go with a pervert anyway?" Shinji visibly wilted from the redhead's announcement.

"It's part of your orders, Asuka-chan." Misato sighed.

"Well, they're stupid if you ask me." Asuka declared as she moved toward the empty bathroom, brushing past Shinji. "I just want you to know that if you left any hidden cameras inside, I'll find them."

"There's nothing the-!" Shinji tried protesting and was cut off as the girl slammed the bathroom door shut behind her.

"Fascinating. Are you guys always this lively?" Faye yawned again, stretching. "And do we really have to wake up this early everyday?" she asked plaintively.

-Oh god, I sure hope not.- Misato fervently wished. "Well, you guys have to be at school before 8, so I guess that you'd normally have to be up by 6 or so." she said out loud as she turned back to her bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to sleep since Shinji-kun so kindly volunteered to make us breakfast." Misato said lazily as she stretched, giving the boy a 'you-better-do-it' look. Shinji gave her a weak smile.

"Ah..I'd like..to help with breakfast." Rei said hesitantly.

Misato froze and turned to Rei in surprise. "You know how to cook, Rei-chan?"

Rei nodded. "A little. I've been teaching myself recently."

-Well I'll be. Isn't this is a pleasant surprise.- Misato was amazed at the quiet girl's revelation. "Sure thing. I'm pretty sure Shinji-kun can use all the help he can get." she said. With a wave of her hand she went back inside her room and quietly closed the door behind her.

-Ahh. Now were was I?- she thought dreamily as she sank down to her still warm futon.

--

The irregular tapping of chalk as it struck the blackboard was the only sound that broke the still silence inside the classroom. Faye, her blonde hair tied neatly behind her with a black silk ribbon and dressed in one of Asuka's spare school uniforms, finally finished writing her name and turned to the class.

"Good Morning. I'm Faye Sarah Neumann. Nice to meet all of you." she said, bowing formally.

"Welcome to the school, Faye-san." the elderly teacher said before pointing to an empty chair near the middle of the classroom. "Please take your seat over there."

As she made her way to her chair Faye noticed the amount of eyes that followed her, especially those of the boys in the class. Almost all of them had expressions of mindless, rapt attention. Atleast the girls only eyed her admiringly, although the blonde pilot noted that some had flushed faces as amorous as the boys'. -Oh, brother.- she sighed to herself as she sat down.

"Alright, class. Open your history textbooks to pag..."

Faye noticed that Asuka was signalling her; pointing to the notebook in front of her then back to herself. When she turned the device on a hail of messages immediately bombarded the screen. Nearly all of them were obviously from infatuated classmates, with message titles like 'Do you have a boyfriend?' or 'You are so pretty. I think I'm in love!' and such. She shook her head as she scrolled down through more of the same until she saw Asuka's blank message, which she promptly opened.

'I take it you're not too happy with all the attention?' Asuka's message read.

Faye made a face as she typed. 'If you only knew. What's with the boy's here? They all act like love-starved puppies. They think that's cute, Feh. And the amount of attention some of the girls are giving me is starting to creep me out.'

'Believe me, I know what you mean. They all behaved the same way when I came in, too.' Asuka replied. 'Don't waste your time on the boys here, though. I'm pretty sure none's your type. Oh, and expect your footlocker to be full of letters later.'

'Really? What makes you say that? And why will my footlocker be full of letters?' Faye asked. While she wasn't particularly interested with the boys due to how big a turn-off their behavior toward her had been, she was eager to pursue this conversation rather than listen to the teacher's droning voice. A casual glance behind her told her that most of the class shared her opinion; her classmates blatantly eating, reading manga, sleeping, or chatting over the class network through their notebooks.

'They're all immature brats.' Faye winced, feeling Asuka's contempt coming from something as emotionless as her text message. -Ouch.- she thought as she continued to read. 'The letters will all be more of the same messages that you're getting right now, just handwritten. Apparently its some stupid old custom with the students in Japan.' Faye shook her head in exasperation over that one. 'I'd be careful of the girls though; some are almost as bad as the boys. Oh, and I'd like you to meet my friend Hikari Horaki. She's the girl in front of me.'

Faye looked over and saw Asuka and Hikari smiling as they waved at her. A moment later Hikari joined their silent conversation.

'Hello Faye-san. I'm Hikari. Nice to meet you.'

'Hello Horaki-san. You're the class president, right?' Faye typed.

'Yes she is.' It was Asuka who replied. 'It's just a mystery why a girl with such a good head on her shoulders could have a crush on one of the boys in our class.'

Faye saw a red faced Hikari round on Asuka, saying a few words in a strangled whisper before her next message appeared on the screen.

'I just can't believe you, Asuka-chan! Besides, Touji's different from the boys here.'

'Relax, Hikari-chan. I'm sure Faye-chan won't run around and tell everybody your secret. Although I think I'll never understand what it is you see in that guy.'

Faye giggled as she read the exchange between the two friends. 'Don't be too hard on him, Asuka-chan.' the blonde typed. 'I'm sure that Horaki-san has a very good reason for liking the guy. Where is he, by the way?'

'He's that guy in black behind Shinji.' Asuka answered. 'He was also the former pilot of the first Eva-03.'

-I guess that explains the crutches.- Faye mused as she glanced at Touji. She heard what happened to the first Eva-03 back in America; her trainers were kind enough to let her know of the kind of danger a full-time Eva pilot faces. Although obviously injured, the boy still had the gall to put his bandaged legs on top of his desk as he listened to the teacher's lecture.

Letting her gaze wander from Touji, her attention shifted on her other co-pilots. -Hmm. Shinji seems to be pretty popular. Probably chatting with his friends.- she noted as the boy, with an odd expression on his face, was very busy typing away on his notebook. Her eyes settled on Rei, who was currently staring out the window.

'Asuka-chan, does Rei have any friends?' Faye asked through the notebook.

'Her? I doubt it. Heck, I still find it hard to believe that she can cook.' the redhead replied.

The blonde frowned. 'Why? She was living on her own before, right?'

'It's a long story, Faye-chan.'

'Ayanami-san can cook? Wow, I never knew that. How did you find out?' Hikari asked.

'She made breakfast with Shinji this morning. I'm sure that the idiot was the one who made the toast; that's the only thing he can -cook- that's edible. She probably made the rest. It was pretty good, too.' Asuka confessed to her friend.

'How come she was at your place so early?'

'She's living with us too.'

'Really?'

'Yep. Make sure you keep it to yourself though, Hikari-chan.'

Faye tapped her lip for a moment before typing. -Can I invite her to join us here?-

'Don't bother. You can try, but I'm sure she doesn't even have her notebook on.' Asuka replied.

'She knows that we have pilot training this afternoon, right?'

'Don't worry about her. She never misses her schedule.'

After reading the message Faye let the issue of inviting Rei go. She breezed through the rest of the classes, mainly thanks to the company Asuka and Hikari provided her with. However, when the lunch bell finally chimed and the two friends came over, inviting her to eat with them, she firmly decided that she was going to invite Rei along as well.

---

Meanwhile, Shinji had his hands full from the moment Faye was introduced as a new Evangelion pilot. It was an obvious assumption for nearly anybody that most of the boys, and some of the girls, would be more inclined to milk information regarding Faye from him rather than ask the girl directly. So for nearly the entire morning he was constantly dodging questions concerning the new girl.

-I should have never turned this thing on.- he sighed glumly as he answered another 'Does she have a boyfriend?' message for the Nth time with another 'I don't know.'. -It's a good thing nobody knows she's living with us, or I'm really going to get it.- he shuddered at the thought.

'Shinji!' It was Kensuke this time. 'How can she be selected as an Eva pilot? She's not even Japanese!'

Shinji sighed again, typing away. 'I don't know, Kensuke. She was selected by NERV from America, so I guess that means that she's ok.'

'What? But I thought all the pilot's were supposed to be Japanese?' Kensuke protested.

'Well, Asuka's half German, isn't she? Besides, the Eva came from America, so shouldn't they get to pick its pilot?' Shinji pointed out gently.

'I guess. Aww, damn. I just wish it could have been me.' Kensuke answered. Just then the lunch bell chimed from the school speakers, and he stood with the class as they bowed to the teacher. As Shinji rose he glanced at the new, flashing message from his friend.

-By the way, Touji's right behind you.-

With a gasp Shinji whirled around and found Touji smirking behind him. "Yo!" the other boy greeted, struggling to get up.

"Touji!" Shinji said as he immediately helped his friend stand. "You're ok! I didn't even hear you enter the class! When did you get out of the hospital?"

"Yesterday." Touji answered, wincing as he limped to one of his crutches. "I got nothing to do at home, so I figured that I might as well go to school. You got any lunch?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Good. Let's go eat then. Kensuke's already here." the boy said, nodding to their friend.

"Yo, Shinji! Aren't you going with them?" Kensuke said as he approached, pointing to the departing group consisting of Asuka, Faye, Hikari and Rei.

"Nah. C'mon, let's help Touji walk over to the bench." Shinji replied, taking one of Touji's arms.

"Ow! Hey! Easy over there! Don't drag me!" Touji complained to both his friends as they supported him, one on each arm.

While they walked with the injured boy Shinji felt the euphoria of seeing his friend burn off. In its place the familiar spectre of his guilt at being the cause of the boy's injury suddenly resurfaced, the pain of it stabbing at his chest like a hot knife. He tried to think of something appropriate to say by way of an apology; something to comfort Touji and take away the burning pain that he himself felt. Yet try as he might, words failed him.

"Touji. I'm so sorry about all this." was all he could say in the end, the words leaving his mouth in a low voice filled with remorse as they continued to walk. The injured boy stared straight ahead for a few long moments, then sighed as he turned to Shinji.

"Ah, what the hell? I'm sure it ain't your fault anyway." he answered with a smile. "Besides, I think I got the better end of the deal. Sure, I hurt all over right now, but I'll heal eventually and my sister's cured thanks to her treatment in NERV's hospital. I didn't even have to pay for anything!" he finished with a laugh.

Shinji brightened at that last bit. "Really? Your sister's alright now?

"Yep. Energetic as hell." Touji grinned. "In fact, she almost kicked me back to my futon when she learned that I planned to go to school today."

"Glad to hear it." Shinji grinned back. He felt the wonderful sensation of his guilt lifting, his chest finally being free of such a dark, heavy burden. -I'm glad it's finally over with.- he thought as he drew a deep, relieved breath.

"So." Touji began, giving Shinji a sly look. "What's the deal with this Faye chick?" his grin widened.

"Ack!" Shinji coughed, caught completely off-guard.

"She's NERV's new pilot from America." Kensuke said sullenly from Touji's other side.

"I know that, moron." the injured boy said as he rolled his eyes. "I meant the important stuff. You know; is she nice, how hot is she, has Shinji seen her naked; those kinds of things."

"Well, she's nice. And certainly pretty." Shinji blushed with his head down, not meeting his friends' hungry looks.

"Have you seen her naked?" Touji pressed.

Shinji shook his head vigorously. "No! I wouldn't do anything like that!"

"Aww, c'mon man! You're no fun." the injured boy said plaintively.

"Listen, Shinji." Kensuke whispered conspiratorially as he leaned towards the other boy. "If you're gonna peek on someone, go peek at Misato-san. Then tell us all about it!"

"You said it, Kensuke!" Touji agreed ardently. "No girl could ever compete against the charm of such a beautiful woman. Ahh, Misato-san..."

"I can't do that! If she catches me she'll kill me!" Shinji protested.

"C'mon Shinji! Be a man!" Touji berated in a puffed-up tone even as he continued limping.

-Hmph. Look who's talking. You can't even walk straight.- "Absolutely not!" Shinji flatly refused.

The sounds of indignation and laughter followed the three friends as they made their way to eat lunch together.

----

NERV's underground training facility rang from bursts of dummy round fire as Eva 00, Eva 02 and Eva 03 all went through the scheduled training routine. Pilot chatter though the comm-link was broadcasted inside the control room; a necessary data to be monitored yet undoubtedly contributing to the overall noise. Ritsuko all ignored them with practised ease as she studied the performance of the three girls.

"Current pilot readings?" the scientist asked, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"Harmonics are normal for all pilots. Syncronization ratio report: Eva 00 at 82.54 percent; Eva 02 at 92.68 percent; Eva 03 at 74.25 percent." Maya read from her screen.

-Hmm. Just about what I expected.- Ritsuko observed, watching Eva 03. -Her movement is markedly slower than Rei's. From the way she's handling that recoil it's also obvious that she's not used to firing a regular positron rifle yet. Better let her concentrate on being ranged backup first.- she concluded before shifting her attention on Eva 00.

-Rei is still pretty much the same. Her performance places her as a top support unit, and a second choice for point assignments. We thought that data from the past months pointed to an apparent sync ceiling of about 80 percent or so for her, but recently she seems to be improving slightly.- she mused, then turned to watch Eva 02.

-It's Asuka that has me worried.- Ritsuko thought, allowing a slight frown to grace her brow before putting out another query to her team. "What's Asuka's current physical reading?"

"Heart rate normal. Brain waves normal. Blood pressure and LCL oxygen levels normal. Green as go, Sempai." Maya replied.

-Then why is she just standing there with the other two? Normally she'd be all over the place going melee.- Ritsuko worried, her frown deepening. "Everything alright, Asuka?" she asked the redhead directly, hailing her through the comm-link.

"Yeah. What's up, Ritsuko?" Asuka answered.

"Mind if I ask why you're so...calm? Aren't you the least bit excited that your sync ratio's back and even better than normal?" the scientist pressed.

"Heh. Don't worry about me. You know I'll clear the routine in less than 5 minutes if I go all out." the fiery girl chuckled. Strangely Ritsuko noticed that there was hardly any trace of her usual haughty demeanor. "I just thought that you guys might like to train Rei or Faye a bit more. Besides, I think that I really ought to get the hang of being in support detail." Asuka finished, sounding a bit rueful toward the end.

Ritsuko goggled at the girl for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. -Unbelievable. Did I just hear all that from HER?- she wondered. "Are you sure about this?"

"What are you asking me for? You're the boss." came the light reply as Eva 02 expertly fired another calculated salvo, effectively taking out two dummies.

That snapped Ritsuko back to business. "Alright then. Rei, discard your rifle and equip yourself with any progressive melee weapon." On cue a nearby storage bin snapped open, revealing an array of close-range combat armament. Rei laid the rifle down as she surveyed the items and after a few moments picked a one-handed sword and a matching shield. With a flick of a thumb she turned the weapon on, its blade humming menacingly.

"Good." the scientist continued as a dense knot of dummies appeared in far side of the room.. "Now, your target is the dummy in the center. Support detail orders are to prioritize ALL dummies that target point. Rei will be point; Asuka and Faye will be support. If you are targeted, you are NOT to shoot back unless the dummy targets Rei. Understood?"

"Understood." Rei said in a determined voice as Eva 00 took a ready stance, shield in front.

"Sounds fun!" Asuka laughed as Eva 02 discarded the rifle in favor of two pistols.

"I don't know how you can say that, Asuka-chan." Faye sighed as Eva 03 slapped a fresh magazine into its empty rifle. "Those dummy's attacks HURT, you know."

Ritsuko smiled as she heard the exchange over the comm-link. -Maybe Asuka finally grew up somewhat. In any case, with her being less aggressive it is a good opportunity to start intensive teamwork training. I'll also give enough time for Rei and Faye to catch up and improve individually.- "Ready?" she asked, and after a moment all three voiced affirmative.

"Start!" Ritsuko barked, admiring the way the three girls blazed through their targets.

-----

For nearly a week the days went by smoothly, although the inhabitants of Misato's apartment might say otherwise.

The second day after Faye moved in the blonde pilot met PenPen, the apartment's last 'tennant'. That is, after the penguin shocked her by jumping out of his freezer when the girl curiously opened it, thinking there was ice-cream inside. Once she stopped screaming and calmned down enough to have things explained to her she actually grew fond of the animal, saying it was 'cute'.

Rei's cooking became the group's morning staple, with the others taking turns in helping her; all of them except Misato, of course. The purple haired woman claimed that nothing tastes better than her favorite instant ramen, although everyone noticed that she heartily digs in and wolfs down anything that Rei can manage to dish out. Asuka and Faye particularly enjoyed cooking with the quiet girl, atleast if ever they woke up early enough to help.

The girls had two other intense training routines over the week. Ritsuko and Misato both noted approvingly that the results were spectacular for such a short time: Faye's sync ratio rose from 75 percent to 79 percent, Rei's from 82 percent to 84 percent, and Asuka's holding at 93 percent. More importantly, with Asuka's new found attitude toward her co-pilots their level of teamwork has risen dramatically, allowing Rei to gain more experience with point level assignments and Faye to improve on both her shooting and melee skills. In contrast, Shinji was still on isolated training. His sync ratio was holding at close to 95 percent, and his overall skills with any type of weapon or assignment were still excellent.

Back in the apartment, the boy had taken to using the bathroom even earlier than his previous attempt in an effort to avoid any contact with the girls during the early morning shower rush that might lead to any "awkward" situation. Having known both Rei and Asuka for quite some time now the boy was pretty much comfortable around them, but Faye was another matter. With his timid nature and low self confidence coupled with the blonde girl's penchant for clinging or revealing outfits, Shinji usually avoided being alone with his newest co-pilot.

When friday eventually arrived everybody breathed a sigh of relief, each for their own reasons. The pilots were eager to rest up from school while NERV personnel were grateful for the continued silence of any Angelic activity. None of them had any inkling as to the events that were to happen at dawn the next day.

------

:FRIDAY, 2226 hours:

That night was relatively colder than normal for a summer evening, with Misato off at NERV for an all-nighter. Shinji and the others were freshened up for the night lounging by the living room as they watched TV. To everybody's surprise Faye suddenly whipped out a deck of special cards and invited them to play.

"What this?" Asuka asked curiously as she examined the deck box, turning it over.

"It's called 'UNO'." Faye explained as she sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor. "It's a very fun and popular card game in America."

"I..don't know." Shinji said uncertainly, trying his best not to ogle at the girls in their sleep clothes. "We've all got training tomorrow morning, right?"

"Don't be such a prick. C'mon." Asuka said, sitting down next to Faye. When Rei silently sat opposite of the redhead, Shinji helplessly sank down to the carpet as well.

"Ok, here are the rules." Faye began, explaining the relatively simple rules of the card game while dealing out the cards for all four of them.

"Hmm. That's all there is to it? I'd bet that this game is simple enough that even an idiot like Shinji can win a game or two." Asuka declared when Faye finished her explanation.

"If you say so, Asuka-chan." Faye answered as she settled down. "Here we go. 4 Blue!" Before long all four had cards played on the discard pile and the game was well underway.

"Draw 2!" Asuka cried at one point, tossing a red card over the pile and grinning impishly at Shinji as she flashed her remaining 3 cards at everybody.

-Hmph. We'll see about that.- Shinji thought excitedly as he studied his own cards. He didn't even notice the grin that crept on his face in anticipation of getting to screw Asuka's plan over. "Reverse!"

"Hmph. Is that the best you can do?" the redhead sniffed before turning to Faye. "I'm sorry, Faye-chan. Draw 2." this time, she placed a green card and grinned as she took her remaining two cards in each hand.

"I ain't drawing anything. Draw 2. Your turn, Rei-chan." Faye said as placed another green card.

There was a moment of silence as Rei seemed to be at a loss on what to do next. However, Shinji's eyes widened when he saw the blue haired girl start to pick one of her cards.

-No! How many cards am I supposed to draw now?- he thought, watching in dismay as she slowly place her card on top of the discard pile.

"Draw 4." she said softly, revealing a special draw/colorless card. Then she turned to Shinji, her eyes lighting up in expectation.

"Umm, Rei-chan? You have to pick a color." Faye reminded her.

-Oh god, please let it be something I can use!- Shinji prayed fervently, watching Rei taking her moment.

"Red."

-YES!- Shinji exclaimed silently, his excitement surging until he saw that the only thing he can use was a red 'skip' card. The implications of playing that card made him hesitate, but his euphoria over the game allowed him to overcome his shyness toward Faye.

"Ahh.. sorry , Faye-san." he apologized as he showed his card to everybody. "This is the only thing I can play."

Faye made a face. "Jeez, you guys learn real fast, don't you? I'm not done yet though. Back to you!" she called, this time playing a gold 'skip' card.

-Gold? Whew! Still safe. Good thing I've got two of these.- "Sorry, Ayanami." Shinji said as he played a gold 'reverse' card.

"Skip."

"Nice try Rei-chan but it seems that I win this game and Shinji gets to draw after all!" Asuka cried triumphantly, revealing her 2nd to the last card to be a gold 'draw'.

Shinji was so delighted and surprised by the turn of events that he couldn't help but turn to the redhead and grin wickedly; the kind of smile that gives a person the urge to count his fingers after a handshake. Watching Shinji for a few moments wiped Asuka's smugness off her face.

"Dont you dare!" she breathed.

Shinji, ever so slowly and with exaggerated emphasis, lowered his chosen card and revealed it to be his last golden 'reverse'.

"GODDAMN YOU, SHINJI! I SWEAR I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" the redhead howled as she began drawing all 12 cards, making Shinji lose his control and guffaw despite his best effort to stifle it. Pretty soon Faye joined him with her own mirthful peals and even more surprising, Shinji noticed Rei red faced, giggling behind her hand as well. If he wasn't so caught up in laughing his guts out he'd have mentioned it, but as it was he clutched his sides and gasped for breath.

Asuka opened her mouth and seemed about to say something scalding to the boy when she noticed Rei laughing with them. With a shake of her head she decided against it and just sulked.

"Hahaha. Very funny."

The four children played well into the night, forgetting sleep as they filled the apartment with warmth and laughter. Much to Asuka's frustration she lost every game, and much to everybody else's surprise it was Rei who won every single time. Shinji had so much fun that he didn't even feel the slightest twinge of awkwardness with the idea that all of them was sharing in this particular moment, which he normally would under different circumstances. He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy and was glad for the opportunity to bond with his 'friends', now feeling closer and more comfortable with all of them than he ever did before.

-------

:SATURDAY, 0314 hours:

NERV received a strange distress signal from far out the coast of old Tokyo. Misato was well into her nap, spawled over her table with a thin line of spittle dripping from the side of her mouth when she was jerked awake by somebody calling her name.

"Wha?" she groggily answered, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"Major? We've been contacted by a fishing fleet some 80 kms east of Old Tokyo bay. They mentioned something about netting a large, unknown object barely thirty minutes ago. They were requesting that we meet them over at the harbour to oversee it's disposal."

Misato stood and quickly strode to the main control room, the last vestiges of sleep all but gone. "Hyuga-kun," she called to her tech specialist as soon as she arrived, "do we have any visuals on that fishing fleet?"

"If that's what you call them, Katsuragi-san." Hyuga snorted from his console. "I'll put them up. I got them off-Sat a few minutes ago."

On cue a series of still images and a live feed appeared on the main screen. The pictures showed four small boats and a fairly large sized tug as they sailed in formation across the water, one boat in front and three at the back of the tug. However, what got Misato interested was that the small boats, while crude, appeared armed and that the large ship looked heavily plated with some sort of metal.

-Its a damn smuggling run.- Misato realized after a moment. The live feed showed more of the same as the boats steadily made their way toward mainland.

"Did you confirm their claim?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out right now. That tug's scrambling the scan with all that lead over it." Hyuga explained. For a few moments he kept muttering his breath, seemingly trying to work out the details of the problem by himself. Misato simply watched him and waited.

"This is the best I could do." he apologized after a minute, showing a zoomed image of the tug boat tinted in red. Misato ignored the white dots seemingly scattered at random all over the vessel, whom she assumed were people, and concentrated instead on the signal splotched over the area of the cargo hold. A distorted white outline was clearly visible, and to Misato's eye it looked vaguely humanoid.

It was also, at the very least, undoubtedly as large as an Evangelion.

Misato studied the image in silence for a few more moments then briskly began to give out orders. "Get me the full details about that fleet. I want to know where it came from, how long was it at sea, the works. And somebody call up Dr. Akagi." Her voice turned grim. "It seems our 'fishermen' caught themselves an Angel."

--------

:SATURDAY, 0327 hours:

"That's all the data we have, Commander."

Misato stood stone-faced inside Gendou's office barely a few minutes after the fleet sighting, reporting the current situation and presenting all the data her team was able to gather. From what she herself learned from the reports the fleet originated from America. It left from Port Kingston in Arizona with a cargo manifest that was obviously fake; they made their way to the port of Hawaii's Mauna Loa island, before apparently continuing on to Hong Kong's modest port of Sai Kung. Whatever happened out in the ocean seemed to force them to head for Old Tokyo instead. From what she can see, either the fleet did catch a dormant, incapacitated or dead angel as they did their business under the sea or over the ocean; or that they already had the angel onboard from the moment they left America.

-What the hell is he thinking about?- Misato wondered, watching Gendou pore over the papers, shuffling from one to the next after an intense, momentary study. However, he visibly froze when he finally got to the ship cargo manifest report. Misato could have sworn that she saw his eyes widen as he read the data from the paper.

"Are you sure about the authenticity of your reports, Major Katsuragi?" he asked in a guarded tone.

Misato frowned. -What the hell did he see there? I went through that nearly twice and all I read was a bunch of heavy construction and industrial grade rubble off for recycling.- "Of course." she answered evenly.

Gendou stayed silent for a few more moments as he continued to scrutinize the report. When he finally lowered the paper and spoke, Misato saw an intense light of expectation and yearning in her commander's eyes.

"Gather all the pilots and sortie the Units in an operation to acquire the cargo at all costs. Have Units 00, 02 and 03 deployed in the immediate vicinity of Old Tokyo Harbour. Unit 01 is to be deployed as backup, positioned at a considerable distance from the port. Contact the harbour management and inform them that NERV will be using their facility as a temporary command center during this emergency." He stood up. "We leave immediately."

-He's coming with us?- Misato thought as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Pardon me, Commander." she asked in a neutral voice. "Do you have an idea as to what the cargo is?"

Gendou studied her for a moment, his face with the usual impassive mask that he always wore. "Just as your report says, Major." he answered smoothly, brushing past her as he walked to the door. "The 'fishermen' caught themselves quite a prize."

---------

:SATURDAY, 0538 hours:

Rei felt her jaw creak as she let out a yawn, although in the LCL filled cockpit of Eva 00 the air that escaped from her mouth turned into a series of bubbles. She realized that this was her very first time to go through a day without sleeping, but then she had never experienced something quite like last night.

It was just before 3:40 in the morning when she and the others, still filled with the euphoria of playing UNO, was startled by a number of NERV personnel banging loudly at the front door. Within 20 minutes she and the other pilots were already suited and inside NERV's war room, being briefed by Misato and Ritsuko on the details of operation 'Kingfisher'.

'Alright guys, here's how the operation would go.' Rei remembered Misato begin. 'Asuka, you'll be point. Rei and Faye, you'll be Asuka's backup. Point is to wait here. Rei, you stay at B. Faye at C.' Misato said as she pointed to the corresponding points on the projected map. 'The mission objectives are to protect the cargo acquisition team at the pier, and to initiate emegency cargo acquisition procedures should the situation require it.'

'What? Emergency Cargo Acquisition? Are we supposed to be delivery girls, now?' Asuka tried to complain but her yawn spoiled the attempt.

'Um, Misato-san? What about me?' Shinji asked.

'You are still in reserve.' Misato answered, giving the boy an unreadable look. 'For some reason the Commander felt that this mission was so important that he ordered you to be deployed in the within vicinity of the operation site, although still quite a ways from the port.' She pointed at an empty circle in the map.

'I still say this sucks. They could have just waited till morning, you know.' Asuka grumbled, her tone grouchy.

'Oh, don't mind her Katsuragi-san, Akagi-san.' Faye said gaily, ignoring Asuka's alarmed look. 'Asuka's just upset because she didn't get to win a single game of cards despite claiming that the game was, and I quote: 'simple enough for an idiot to win a game or two'.' the blonde grinned.

'Faye-chan! I can't believe you told them that!' Asuka's plaintive tone set off another round of laughter from the other three pilots, much to Misato and Ritsuko's confusion.

Rei can't help but smile as she remembered that moment. She had no idea that being with others and sharing such experiences with them could bring so much joy and happiness. While she was aware of the concept of laughter, she never got to experience it till last night.

-I have never laughed before and was always confused why other people bothered with it.- she wondered. -Yet last night, with all of them, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I couldn't even help myself; I suddenly had this urge to laugh, and did so without meaning to. Is this why people laugh? Do they get to feel all those wonderful things that I felt last night?-

-Feels nice, doesn't it? Having friends you can play and have fun with is the best thing in the world.-

There it was again; that mysterious whisper that danced in Rei's head with child-like exuberance. Yet she knew better than to pursue where the errant thought came from. Instead she allowed herself to reflect on what it told her.

-Friends? Yesterday, was I 'playing with friends'?- the blue haired girl thought, awed by the implications of the notion. -Being with them all felt so...wonderful. Will I get to experience that again? With them? Do they truly regard me as such?-

"What's the matter, Rei-chan? You look like you're thinking about something really deep. What? Did I startle you?" Rei jumped in surprise when a comm-link screen suddenly popped open, revealing Faye as she yawned inside her cockpit.

-What's this? Why is she talking to me? What do I say?- Rei had never panicked before, but the blonde caught her at a really private and vulnerable moment. With her feeling all these raw emotions and her mind filled with unfamiliar thoughts, coupled with the girl suddenly popping out of the blue, she was deeply embarrased and distressed by her loss of words and was desperately trying to find something to say.

"Ah.." she blurted, blushing a deep red.

"Aha! You're blushing! How cute." Faye teased.

"Hey, take it easy on her. She's probably still pretty high from winning all those games." Asuka's said as her screen popped up from beside Faye.

"And you're still grouchy for losing all of them." Faye nipped with an impish grin.

"Gawd, are you still going at that?" the redhead sighed in exasperation. "Sometimes you're just unbelievable, Faye-chan."

"Heh. Alright, sorry. Sometimes I just can't help myself." the blonde apologized.

Shinji's screen suddenly popped up next to Asuka's. "Still, whoever thought that Ayanami would be so good at that game? I mean, she won everytime!" he said, joining the conversation.

"Hmph. Who invited you?" Asuka sniffed.

"Aww. Don't be like that, Asuka-chan." Faye chided.

As the other three pilots started to have a protracted arguement about Shinji's decision to include himself in their 'private' conversation, their voices suddenly faded in Rei's hearing. It was their manner toward her that filled her thoughts, looming over her and drowning their chatter. -Faye-san just asked what was the matter with me. All of them bother to include me in their conversation. Maybe they DO consider me as their...-

"Ahh..." she blurted again, her blush deepening as all three stopped speaking to look at her questioningly. "I'd like us to..play..again sometime." she said hesitantly, not knowing what to expect.

It was Asuka who first responded. "I'd like that, Rei-chan. More than you'd ever know." the redhead answered with a warm, friendly smile. The others voiced their agreement as well with their own smiles.

-Ah! Here it is again.- she realized as she felt a sense of joy and wonder swell in her chest, filling her body as she gazed at the smiling faces of her friends. Rei wondered if there was anyway to live everyday with this buoyant feeling. However, it was at that moment when Misato's delayed broadcast suddenly reached them all, shattering Rei's brief moment of bliss with a tense yet ominously garbled shout.

"Wa-ch ou-! Ang-ls c-min- y-ur way!"

Almost immediately Rei felt two hollow booms explode in the general direction of the pier, and only had enough time for her eyes to widen before Asuka's agonized screams filled her ears.

-----------

Chapter 03 END

-----------

Author's notes:

Thanks to Rahhel and the others for reviewing. Applied fixes on the previous chapters based on his input. :D

XD Ok, regardless of how you feel right now please take a moment to review the chapter. I really need some reader feedback especially regarding how the different characters are turning out in the fic. Who knows, your input might help speed up the creation of the next chapter(I just hope I won't be too busy with work again). :D

Pls Review! If you've got questions regarding the fic don't hesitate to ask me as well. :D

QandA:

1.) Ok, regarding the UNO scene. I'm not entirely sure if my rules are correct since I based it on an UNO clone that I play in the PC. If I missed the core rules of the game, just think that from the time of the Second Impact to 2015 the game evolved enough to include the rules that were illustrated.

Thanks again to all who waited patiently and read this. Don't forget that review now. :D 


	6. Chapter 3 OUTRO: Moonlit Interlude

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity

by Bardic

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way...

Ok, it's be a few months since I last updated the fic. Just wanted to show to you guys that I've not stopped writing yet. This part's pretty short but it is integral to how the fic would progress. I hope you guys enjoy it. I'll try to post chapter 4 as soon as I can.

Of course, reviews and reactions are always welcome. :-)

-

Chapter 3.5: Moonlit Interlude

-

:SATURDAY, 0308 hours:

It was a beautiful night out at the open sea. The full moon hung proud over the cloudless, starry sky, the night's dark glory still preserved at such an early hour. Gentle waves regularly rolled in to softly lap at the metal hulls of the group of ships that cruised uneventfully over the calm ocean. Up on the cargo ship the open window of the captain's cabin allowed the bright moonlight and the soft sigh of the ocean breeze to fill the lightless room, yet the captian himself, sitting on his desk, noticed none of these things. While he appeared to focus on the transmitter that he held in front of his face his blank eyes stared sightlessly, his mind filled with the images of the next series of orchestrated events that would happen in the next few hours, and the glory they will bring. A few moments of reverie passed, and with a start he finally activated the device, waiting for it to sync to the dedicated frequency before speaking.

"Contact was a success. The package is delivered." he muttered tersely.

"Are you still being followed?" came flat mechanical reply from the transmitter.

"We tried to shake them off for the last two days to no avail.They continue to follow even after two eccentric manuevers. We've observed them while they tailed us and they didn't show the slightest sign of hostility; no AT fields, no rise in energy readings, just constant movement toward the cargo ship's direction, always matching its speed. I don't understand why they remain completely docile, but Brother Whiteman believes that they are simply reacting to a resonant signal being broadcasted by the cargo. A disruption of any magnitude might cause them to behave differently." the captain explained solemnly.

"And the cargo?"

"The same since it was recovered. No monitored change at all."

The transmitter went silent for a few moments before continuing.

"This changes what we've planned. By now NERV will surely be on alert with the Evangelions deployed. With an immiment encounter at Old Tokyo Bay the significance of your sacrifice would be overshadowed by the ensuing conflict."

"Then tell me, Commander. What shall we do?" The captain demanded, his voice rising involuntarily in anger at the thought of the day's glory being denied. "We were promised the honor of being the heralds of our crusade. All of the brothers with me volunteered for this. No matter what happens next the result is the same: in just a few hours they WILL know of our existence. The time for hiding has finally passed. I say we stay and see the deed done!"

"What good will it be if the ship sinks in the wake of the battle? The cargo may be salvaged, but your bodies will not." came the reply, its flat tone cutting through the captian's ire. "No, Brother Artus, you must not fall here."

The man known as Artus swallowed his disappointment, acquiescing to the Commander's authority. "What are your orders?" he whispered, his soft voice shaking from the effort of quelling his bitterness.

"When the fight begins take the brothers and all of our equipment. Escape on the speedboats, and return to us. No trace of your presence must remain." The speaker paused, then continued, as if in consolation. "The war has just begun, my brother. There will be many more battles who's import would far surpass this day. Come and return to us safely."

With a sigh Artus let the moment's passion fade, instead soaking up the logic of the Commander's words. "Very well, Commander. It shall be as you say." he said, touching his forehead with his right hand as he bowed over the transmitter. When he rose, he allowed himself one last inquiry. "Yet this does not change the fact that when morning comes our existence, without our identity, will be known. It might not be my place, but I wonder how the rest of the Brotherhood will take this? Today was to be our day of glory; the day when we strike fear into the heart of the adversary."

"Do not worry, Brother Artus. I've already seen to that. The Dagger is still poised over its prey." came the reply, and even through the flat voice of the transmitter Artus felt the chill of his Commander's words.

"When morning comes SEELE will indeed know fear like it had never known before."

--

Moonlit Interlude END

--


	7. Chapter 4: The Promise of Dawn

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity  
by Bardic

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way...

Sorry for delaying this for 1 week. Here's the next chapter, and be assured that I'm already working on the next one.

Hope y'all like it. Don't forget to review and comment, even if it's just to diss me for missing my deadline. :D

Ciao.

-

Chapter 04: The Promise of Dawn

-

:SATURDAY, 0535 hours:

Shinji shuddered involuntarily and wondered if it ironically had anything to do with how strange he felt rather than the usual chill of the LCL-filled entry plug. 'Strange' was how he ended up describing this sensation that overcame him as soon as he left the GeoFront; a bewildering mixture of lethargy and restlessness that he could not place, let alone deal with. At first he tried to shrug it off, but when it refused to go away he began to worry.

-_I know it's the first time I've been out since that fight._- He himself barely had any recollection of the battle inside the GeoFront, just vivid memories of pain and blood. -_How long ago was it? I mean, ever since I got out of the hospital I've been training, right? Misato-san and Ritsuko-san both told me that my results were still good, even if I wasn't allowed to participate in any of the recent missions. I'm probably just nervous or something._- he concluded with a deep, shaky 'breath' while outside Eva-01 visibly kept clenching and unclenching its free hand. -I've got to calm down-

"What's wrong, Shinji-kun? Something up?" Misato suddenly asked.

Shinji's heart leaped when Misato's screen suddenly popped up in front of him. -_Damn! I almost jumped when she spoke_.- "N-nothing, Misato-san." The boy said out loud, forcing a tight smile. "I guess I'm just a little nervous since this is the first time I've been out in a mission recently."

"Hmm. Well, you're right about it being your first mission in a long time..." Misato frowned. "Just try to relax a bit, ok? It's probably gonna be one boring day, anyway."

"I'll try." Shinji laughed weakly, and watched Misato's screen wink out. -_She's right. Calm down, calm down,..._- and silently continued reciting the words.Yet no matter how much he tried to force himself otherwise he still felt it through the pounding of his blood; it was like being in front of a train hurtling at full speed while his legs are rooted in fear. Except that there was no train in front of him, only the thin line of light over the distant horizon announcing the imminent arrival of sunrise.

Shinji wasn't sure how long he lost himself in his silent litany but all of a sudden he noticed the conversation between his three co-pilots. Without a second thought he immediately joined in, his usual timidness forgotten. Instead he forced a cheerful tone to his voice, driven by the urgency to put these unsettling feelings behind him by seeking the company of others.

"Still, whoever thought that Ayanami..."

--

"Well?"

"He did say that he's nervous about being on a mission after a long time, right? Maybe that's just it."

Makoto Hyuuga absently listened to the exchange, glancing at both Ritsuko and Misato through the corner of his eye before putting his attention back to his panel. Various data detailing the life signals of all four sortied pilots streamed constantly through the screen, with Shinji's data currently selected to allow a minor analysis thread to keep constant watch and to supply a more detailed report. -_Still, these readings are mighty strange, even from Shinji-kun. It's almost as if this is his first time to pilot Eva-01_.- he wondered, noting the increase in pulse rate, blood pressure, sweat production and neural activity. He was obviously in some state of distress, while in contrast the other pilots seemed more or less sleepy, something which Hyuuga couldn't agree more. Things were so quiet this morning that he himself lost count on how many yawns he consciously tried to stifle without much success. -_I'll let the program watch him_.- he decided before turning to the panel to his right.

With a keypress he had the smuggling fleet in real time display, merely 8 kilometers from the port. They were virtually the same since they were spotted a few hours ago; cargo ship in the middle, one armed light ship in front and two at the back, forming a defensive triangle over the bigger vessel. All three showed no other signs of activity; no people were visible on the decks of any ship, no energy signal of any sort coming from the fleet. Earlier Hyuuga did think it was strange that those three ships failed to register any kind of energy signal since they were put under monitoring, but since they followed a straight course to Old Tokyo Port and showed no other apparent problems he thought nothing of it. -_Tsk, you'd think they'd be the source of excitement this morning. They're no fun_.- he yawned again while he adjusted his glasses.

-_But heck, it would really be amazing if we really find a live angel inside that cargo ship_.- he wondered, suddenly feeling excited by the idea. -_Well, a dead one would still be cool, but we already have a specimen. If it were alive, though_...-

A sudden beep broke him from his daydreaming and made him glance reflexively toward the source. The radar screen, which just a few moments ago showed the four blips of the cargo fleet, was now blank. The screen right beside it still had the four ships in visual, with no problems. However, when the radar still failed to register the four blips of the fleet after a few more seconds, Hyuuga started frowning.

---

Gendou sat quietly in one side of the now NERV occupied tower control room, his face hidden behind steepled, white-gloved fingers. While many would mistake his silence with his usual quiet supervision, none of them could have been farther from the truth. His blank eyes stared straight through the room, seeing none of the bustle that many of the NERV personnel so competently displayed this early in the morning. Instead, this entire predicament only served to bring out the memories from one night few weeks ago, the rush of images filling his visage as crisp as if he were reliving them right that moment. A few days ago he gave them enough attention to warrant being extremely cautious about carrying his plans out, but if his suspicions are true then the events today threaten to change the very future of the entire human race; atleast, the future as far as both Gendou and SEELE would have it.

On that night he suddenly came to and realized that he was bound and gagged inside his cavernous office, with feet and hands tied to his chair. Almost immediately he felt somebody behind him grasp a handful of his hair and roughly tilt his head back, pressing the edge of a curved knife to his exposed throat. Taking great pains not to struggle, he let his eyes focus on the figure sitting in front of him, a few feet away from the other end of the table. The usual dimness of the room bathed most of the stranger's body in shadows, the feeble light only revealing delicate fingers as they toyed with a sinuous, finely crafted ivory dagger.

'Ikari-san.' The figure began in a soft feminine voice Gendou didn't recognize, the dagger continuing its dance. 'Forgive us giving you such rough treatment, but we only wanted to make sure you know how things stand so that when the time comes your..._cooperation_,' her tone becoming wryly amused, ' will hopefully be forthcoming. You see, we know all about your useless attempts to forcefully seize the reins of Human Instrumentality from SEELE.' Gendou remembered being shocked at just how nonchalant she sounded, ticking off knowledge that he was sure only he knew of, knowledge that he and the most powerful group on earth considered as _the_ answer to humanity's eternal search for meaning, as if reading the weather report from a newspaper. 'I say useless because for quite some time now SEELE itself has abandoned the Human Instrumentality Project, obviously without your 'consent'. The only reason they continue to support NERV is their current inability to deal with Angels.' The dagger in her hand stopped spinning even as her voice became solemn. 'And that in itself is just a temporary setback.What's more, if SEELE's current plans are allowed to continue nobody, not even you Ikari-san, will ever have the chance to initiate full Instrumentality.'

'In any case,' the speaker continued in a more amicable yet distant tone, the dagger resuming its movement, 'we trust that you will make the right choice. If not, well, Adam can be grafted onto somebody else. Your son, perhaps?' she chuckled coldly before standing, the shadows seeming to swallow the speaker's entire figure. It was the last thing Gendou remembered seeing, as with a sharp rap to the back of his head he rapidly descended to unconsciousness. When he next awoke there was absolutely no evidence of the incident ever taking place. He could even pass everything off as a stress induced dream, except for the thin line of blood along his throat and the painful lump on his head.

Since that night he was never 'contacted' by this mysterious group again and as such brooded over the meeting constantly, thinking how much of what he heard was true. The very idea of another shadowy organization actively opposing SEELE was too absurd to even consider that he was convinced SEELE's concocted this whole thing up to catch him offguard. Even more so was the idea that SEELE had given up on Human Instrumentality. -_Those old men stubbornly cling to their rights on the Project like children greedily holding on to their candy. Every scrap of power that I've managed to accumulate from them I have fought hard for, right at their very table. Then suddenly all this means nothing to them? How can I believe that_?- It was very hard not to be skeptical about the whole thing but in the end Gendou himself concluded that their claims had to be false. Yet what worried him was the fact that somebody, whether it be SEELE or truly a third 'player' in their shadowy game, knows too much about his most secret of plans. -_And just how much do they know?_- That knowledge made him doubt his own conclusions, for he was sure that if SEELE was indeed the one who met with him he would not have lived that night.

Then came this whole predicament with the ships out in the middle of the ocean. To Gendou, the cargo's significance was but a shadow of what the entire incident might imply. To most people, expert or not, the reports that Major Katsuragi was able to gather, along with the ship's cargo manifest, were truly mundane with nothing out of the ordinary. However, the problem lies in the fact that he knew _exactly_ where the items in the cargo manifest were from. He remembered the chill that ran down his spine the instant he made the connection, and along that sudden realization the specter of his nocturnal meeting reared back in his mind, its prescence as menacing as some dreadful serpent's. With cold certainty he could imagine nobody else to have the power, and the audacity, to do what they apparently have done. Like the stark flash of lightning, the whole incident tantalizingly illuminated the existence of the shadowy group from that fateful night, even for just an instant. An organization with very real power actively opposing SEELE and, if Gendou's suspicions are correct, who's fangs have already struck their first deadly bite just very recently.

-_And the proof would probably be the cargo itself_.- he concluded grimly.

An intense, burning pain suddenly seared up his right hand, breaking him out his troubled reverie. Even as he cradled his arm in an attempt to soothe Adam in between painful gasps he heard Hyuuga call out from his position.

"Major, my radar just blanked out. Anybody else..."

All of a sudden every screen available seemed to lose signal, either breaking to static noise or simply going blank, much to the astonishment of the personnel handling them. Many stood up in confusion, raising their voices and demanding to know what just happened. Others immediately began checking every other electronic equipment and gadget that they could find, and tensely called out that these too were dead. Amidst the growing air of panic inside the room both Misato and Ritsuko quickly tried to restore order, firmly taking command. Gendou, however, was beyond the din. Alone with the pain that kept on burning his arm, he knew exactly what was happening, yet with Adam reacting this hard he had to struggle mightly just to be able to get his voice. He _felt_ it, and it was coming straight at them.

Right straight for him.

"Angel!" he rasped, fighting to get to his feet. "Angel!" Misato heard him first and immediately began hailing the Eva pilots.

Ritsuko's head snapped towards him, her eyes incredulous. "What? How can ..."

Without warning two black globes violently shot out of the water, the first hitting the unprepared Eva-02's back in a burst of crackling energy and hurling Asuka some two hundred feet away from the pier before she collapsed in a resounding crash of demolished buildings. The second globe hit the super-structure of the command tower with all its promised violence, tearing a sizable chunk out of the base and exploding all the glass windows in a deadly shower of shrapnel. Up at the control room pandemonium ensued as everybody scrambled to protect themselves from falling glass even as the floor shook like mad, hurling people and equipment down in indiscriminate heaps.

Gendou's heart pounded as he fought to stand. -_I will not die here. Not when I'm so close._- he snarled silently, turning to those who were still conscious. "Tell Eva 01 to protect this building at all cost!" he grated.

Almost immediately people were crawling through the still heaving floor, trying to make their way to any communications apparatus, if indeed any still worked at all. If another blast hit them or even if the tower foundations were to give away they would surely perish, but Gendou refused to acknowledge such possibilities. Infused with his tenacious refusal to give up in the face of death he forced himself to his feet and rallied his crew, making all of them scramble back to their posts as best they can manage. He did not see Misato and Ritsuko anywhere, but right now such details did not matter to him.

"Commander!" One of the crew pointed through the shattered glass panels to the pier, where the angel was slowly rising out of the water.It appeared to be mostly dark-green in hue, with a spherical body and two 'legs'. Thrusting out from its back were two appendages that looked similar to a jointed scorpion's tail, the ends of which sported five claw-like fingers , all extended as if poised to strike its prey. On the center of its body was the red core, shining as if with malignant power, and surrounding it protectively were flowing, bone-white projections to the point where the whole effect made its spherical body look like an eye, with an uncanny resemblance to the stylized eye of ancient Egypt. That huge body turned left, then right; a huge eye on the hunt, while its 'arms' swiveled menacingly overhead, turning to point wherever the body faced.

Gendou impassively watched the angel search for him, his agony still raging yet very much ignored. He held himself rigid, his steely gaze on the monster never faltering even after it turned its body toward him with chilling finality, that huge scarlet eye seeming to fix him with a malevolent glare of its own. With an unearthly cry of triumph it charged, barreling through the deserted pier with its claws hungrily outstretched. -_Is this how it everything ends, then?_- he asked himself, feeling absolutely nothing inside as he unblinkingly watched the angel come closer with each crashing step, his mind still refusing to believe how everything that he and NERV had accomplished in the name of Human Instrumentality, of mankind's ultimate quest for salvation, could so suddenly and so completely be bereft of any meaning.

There was a faint burst of gunfire sounding off from a distance, and the next moment a hail of positron bullets rained down on the pier, most of it tearing through the low buildings or hitting the ocean, producing sizable yet otherwise harmless fountains of seawater. However, two bullets did mark the angel in midstep, one in a glancing blow to its right leg and the other squarely at the core, both exploding in a cloud of acrid black smoke as they came in contact with the AT field. Of course, such a feeble attack didn't even scratch the enemy, yet at that moment it was more than enough to save Gendou and the rest of NERV who were helpless inside the crumbling control tower. The monster skidded to a halt and turned its massive body inland, to the source of the gunfire. Then with another roar it charged, this time towards the two distant figures, one jet black and the other a deep blue, who were racing to the pier themselves.

----

-_Asuka!_-

Her mouth was dry, her heart trying to pound through her chest. She ran as fast as she could toward the pier, her positron rifle tucked under one arm, yet each step felt as if she were mired in mud. In her head she kept on hearing Asuka's scream, kept seeing her friend's face twisted in agony; the image flogged Faye mercilessly. Time blurred as she raced on and finally she had Eva-03 standing on the last hill overlooking the whole Old Tokyo Pier. She immediately spotted Eva-02 lying in a heap of demolished buildings and started to move toward it until movement by the shore caught her eye. So intent was she on Asuka that she forgot everthing else, until she saw it rise out of the water like a monstrous hydra.

No amount of training could ever have prepared her for the sight of her first angel.

"My god!" Faye choked in shock as her throat involuntarily constricted, her breath catching. Even this far from the shore she could make out the entire figure as it climbed onto the pier, the water sloughing off its massive frame. She tried to move and failed, paralyzed by the fear that suddenly had her in its cold, crushing embrace. Only her eyes were free and they involuntarily followed the movements of the angel's arms, swaying above its body like twin cobras, mesmerized in her terror. What was she supposed to do? Where were Misato and the others? Why won't they take command? Moments stretched with these thoughts running through her head in a panic. Unbidden, her eyes finally broke free from their spellbind and wandered along the pier, barely noticing the capsized yachts and misplaced ships by the harbor, before resting on the damaged control tower. Split seconds passed and she began to take note of the blasted windows and the huge hole right at the center of the base. However, before any other thought formed an unearthly cry drifted from the angel. Faye's eyes whipped back just in time to witness it charge toward the tower with frightening purpose.

-_There are people in there!_-. That instant of realization jolted Faye out of her paralysis. She immediately dropped flat on the hill top, assuming a prone firing position with her positron rifle aimed at the tiny, moving figure of the angel in the distance, the hands gripping the weapon deceptively steady. Inside the entry plug her heart pounded, her breath was ragged and her arms were trembling uncontrollably, yet the blonde pilot's attention was solely on the targeting display in front of her, concentrated on the circles that were slowly converging on her distant target. The intensity of her focus was manic, brought about by the certainty that if she failed to hit her target the whole of NERV would perish, crushed by the angel's massive bulk. It only took a few moments before the targeting system locked on, and when she pulled the trigger she knew for certain even before the bullets travelled halfway to their destination. It felt just like the times when she spent hours at the American Army Rangers' firing range, where her sister had first taught her the basics of handling a firearm. When she lost herself in the rhythem of shooting at the targets she sometimes _feels _the certainty of her shot, just like she did right now. She had hit her mark, dead center.

"Faye! Cover me!" Rei's voice suddenly rang inside the entry plug and an instant later Eva-00's dark blue form streaked past her, heading straight for the angel. Faye watched her friend skid down the hill in a cloud of dirt and earth, hitting the ground aimed and ready. Eva-00 immediately began strafing the angel, firing concentrated bursts of gunfire to hold it's attention while continuing to move in the enemy's general position. It was then that the blonde realized that the angel had already disengaged from the tower and was now bearing down on them both, it's murderous intent now directed at the two Evas and their pilots.

It was crazy. Normally when someone or something wants to kill you, you'd feel terrified. Faye knew that and was aware that fear did course through her in a torrent right then, but it was not for her own safety. Perhaps it was because of Rei's courage, charging down that hill to engage the angel up close, or Asuka who was lying helpless and injured on the rubble, but Faye felt her own desire to fight surge up and burn the terror that she felt, swiftly becoming her resolve. She wanted to help her friends, and to hell with this angel.

In the numerous training sessions that she had with both girls Faye was assigned to be ranged backup, which suited her just fine because of her easy familiarity with guns. Firing a positron rifle from the Eva did take her some time to get used to, a thing that frustrated her so early on, but when she got the hang of it she was shooting nearly as well as Asuka, much to Misato's surprise and delight. Now she put all her concentration in remembering every lesson, every detail of those experiences. She stood up and raced toward the bottom of the hill herself, noting Eva-00's position in relation to her line of fire. Rei had already drawn the angel into a favorable position; the angel was a lot closer now, at an angle where both Eva-03 and Eva-00 could strafe independently without ever being in danger of a crossfire. With the angel's attention on Rei the blonde fired fired a few shots of her own, successfully diverting its attention, allowing Rei to continue her advance with ease. From her position Faye concentrated on the AT fields even as she continued to distract the monster with calculated bursts of gunfire, unconsciously adjusting her angle in relation to Rei's position just as they had practiced for hours on end. -_'Erode them. While your targeting system is locking imaging that you pushing against an invisible net, trying to dent it, to fold it in. It's easiest to begin at the extremeties; the closer you get to the core the tougher AT field concentration gets. Once the field collapses that's the time you fire. Right at the core.'_- she heard Ritsuko's voice in her mind as she remembered her time in the firing gallery, endlessly repeating the exercise each time a dummy appeared for her to shoot. Back then it was so easy with no resisting AT field to meet her own, but doing it right now on the angel felt like beating her hands against a concrete wall rather than a steel fence. The resistance was simply incredible; the outer edges of the field yielded ever so slowly against the force she threw at it. Faye gritted her teeth at the effort, the sweat that would have beaded her forehead immediately washed away by the LCL in the cockpit. When her target display signalled a lock-on she wasn't even a fourth of the way done, the barrier still holding strong.

Her concentration on punching through the angel's AT field made her unaware that one of her enemy's arms seemed to be pointed at her with unnerving accuracy. All of a sudden an intense blinding light flared from the angel, stabbing at the blonde's eyes like a white hot needle. She cried out and shielded her eyes reflexively, just in time to catch one of the angel's dark energy spheres as it slammed over her raised arms. The force of impact itself shattered the ground beneath Eva-03's feet, yet somehow Faye managed to lock her knees in time and keep upright even if the blow tried to crumple her to the ground. A heartbeat later the globe exploded, fingers of jagged black lightning violently snaking down the entire length of her body, seeming to burn every nerve it touched.

Faye screamed again, dropping the rifle in her agony. This time it sounded like she would never stop.

-----

When blinding light flashed from the angel Rei instinctively dove to one side, discarding her rifle and drawing her progressive knife in one fluid motion. As soon as she settled onto a defensive crouch she readied the blade in front of her, fading whiteness filling her vision like a thin veil. Partially blinded as she was she felt for each reverberation in the ground, trying to determine the angels intention. After two more heavy steps it was clear that her enemy has angled away from her, charging at the next obvious target. Teeth bared, the blue haired girl sprang out of her crouch, her rapidly fading blindness allowing her to make out the outline of her target. She quickly closed in on the angel's flank, knife at the ready and her vision now fully restored, when the cockpit suddenly flashed a warning and reverted to internal power, the battery timer primed at 5 minutes and counting down at an abnormally accelerated rate.

Rei barely reacted to the switch, not even noticing how fast the battery timer dropped, her attention fiendishly riveted on intercepting the angel before it reached Eva-03. A few more seconds brought her nearly at range of her prey, and as she expected one of the arms lashed out at her, claws agape viciously. She waited until the last moment before leaping forward, instantly dodging the attack and landing at the opposite side of the extended appendage, getting the angel within arm's-length. As the monster turned to smash her down with its other hand Rei was ready, batting out the attack with her free arm, ignoring the jarring pain of the blow even as she thrusted the knife at its core with all her strength, intending to drive the blade hilt-deep into it's scarlet, pulsating heart.Then, just as the tip of the blade made contact the core itself _moved_; sparks flew when the knife slid roughly along its surface as the glowing red orb shot forward to ram Eva-00 right at the chest with terrific force, throwing it off its feet and sending it crashing onto its back quite some distance away.

Inside the entry plug Rei was stunned from the blow, hands clutched at her tortured chest and fighting for the breath that would not come to her. She lay helpless, her LCL-filled lungs heaving in futility, distantly aware of the angel's approaching footsteps. Her vision started to swim from the lack of air and the tears in her eyes when the angel's core floated into view, seeming to fix her in it's malevolent glow. That was the last thing that she saw as with a final beep the Eva's internal battery ran out, plunging the cockpit into sudden darkness, her pain vanishing at the same time. The girl shuddered again and agian as her lungs, free from their paralysis, finally accepted the oxygen from the LCL .

Anytime now, she thought. At any moment the vibrations would stop, and she would have a few seconds, or maybe more, before the angel skewers her with its claws. She was at the brink of death like she had been several times before in the past, but the calm acceptance that she had once possessed was absent now. Instead there was desperation, her mind refusing to accept the circumstances, fueled by the need to help her friends. If she would have only seconds more to live, she would spend those moments fighting with all she had, even if her Eva had no power left to move.

In that manner time seemed to cease to have any meaning for Rei; so lost was she on her own silent battle that the seconds went by unnoticed. On and on it flowed and the attack she had expected never came. The angel's movement continued; indeed for some reason Rei dimly sensed a renewed violence from outside her dark entry plug. These details were at best vague as all the while her concentration never did slip, up until the moment a terrible howl drifted softly from outside, the chilling call cutting through her thoughts. Only twice did she remember hearing that sound, and witnessing the spectacles associated with it had always filled her with a unique feeling of awe and terror, leaving her with things that she will never forget for as long as she lived.

It was the sound of Eva-01 gone mad.

------

CHAPTER 04 END


	8. Chapter 5: Kingfisher

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Horizon of Eternity   
by Bardic

* * *

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax and Hideaki Anno. This is simply a piece of fanfiction based on the series. There, now since that's out of the way... 

Here's the second part of the Tokyo Bay battle, and the conclusion of the smuggler fleet story. Hope y'all like it.

Bardic out.

-

Chapter 05: Kingfisher

-

The first rays of sunlight bursted from the distant horizon, racing through mile after mile of ocean until it reached Old Tokyo Bay, its cold light revealing what little of the area had escaped devastation. Out on the shore many of the smaller ships that were docked the night before now rested in the relatively shallow seabed, their remains an exotic addition to the graveyard of a great city submerged for nearly sixteen years now, while the larger vessels that were so impeccably placed by their respective controllers drifted haphazardly along the coast, torn from their moorings. Rows of warehouses neatly organized in blocks of color ran smoothly along the concrete wharf only to be broken by odd trails of destruction; part of a roof torn there, a clump of buildings crushed here, even a collapsed section farther inland while the warehouses in front, all directly by the shore, stood untouched as if a large object had fallen from the sky to demolish what was there. Soon the sunlight crept up the remains of the control tower, still and silent save for the small plumes of black smoke that escaped from the gaping hollow where the center had been, snaking their way to the sky. A slight distance from the ruined building was another sight to behold: from the wharf there was a large swath of control buildings and warehouses bulldozed into a path that led away from the ocean and straight for the hills. It was there, right after the massive trail ended, that the sunlight seemed to slow; like a gigantic spotlight it illuminated the scene of battle itself, indiscriminately bathing all in its radiant blaze. The land was scarred, the heroes cast down and the enemy standing ominously over one of the fallen, poised to deliver the final blow.

After dodging Eva-00's fatal knife thrust and counter-attacking the angel finally showed its true form. The core was fully separated from the body, floating independently over Eva-00 as it lay helpless on the ground. The bony projections still surrounded the glowing red orb, swirling around it protectively until tapering off into four perpendicular points like that of a four pointed star. Now freed from the bulk of the armor the body had also transformed, becoming a lithe dark-green humanoid figure that exuded deadly speed, further emphasized by the sinuous movements of the scorpion-like tails that thrusted out of its back. It was these two figures that were over the fallen Eva-00, at any moment ready to finish the kill, when the angel suddenly detected a massive energy spike approaching with incredible velocity. As one both forms swiftly turned to engage this new threat; the moment it came into view two identical black spheres blasted from the ends of each tail, their aim true, both hitting the target with twin explosions of violent dark energy that rent the surrounding hillside.

The next instant Eva-01 burst through the cloud of dirt and still-crackling energy, its jaws agape and its arms outstretched as if in hunger. Like a bullet the Eva _flew_ toward the angel at blinding speed, using a manipulated AT field to catapult itself towards its target while letting out a howl that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth. The cry itself was filled with rage; a primal impulse, like a beast hurling its challenge in the face of its animal kin. The angel responded immediately, the body darting forward to intercept the Eva in midflight while the core zipped away at another angle, apparently intending to flank. The morning sunlight followed the combatants as they rushed headlong into each other, its glorious radiance igniting their stage, awaiting the inevitable moment when the colossal figures would meet in a terrifying, violent collision.

It happened a few seconds later.

As if already expecting that there was no way for Eva-01 to alter its trajectory, the angel's left arm shot straight forward with all its claws gathered into a wicked point, intending to spear through the target's heart in a single blow. The moment the angel's claws brushed the surface of its chest armor Eva-01 _blurred,_ this time throwing another AT Field to boost itself to the side, evading the blow in the space of a single heartbeat. The massive velocity born from the second, near-instant acceleration threatened to propel Eva-01 a few hundred feet away from its enemy, but just as it was about to pass completely out of reach the Eva's right hand lashed out to seize the angel's own outstretched arm, crushing the segmented armor underneath its fingers. At the same time the Eva dug its foot in the ground violently, using the friction as a means to slow down, the amount of inertia present in itself enough to plow through earth and rock alike with equal impunity. Aided by the raw forces that it rode, Eva-01 yanked the angel off its feet easily, nearly ripping the appendage off in the process. Then with a sudden jerk every muscle in the Eva's body pulled taut, straining as it forced itself into a tight spin with the angel flailing helplessly behind. Like a twig caught in a twister it whistled through the air, spinning, until Eva-01 slammed it full force against the core that was just about to ram the Eva from behind. The impact was explosive, the sharp report of cracking bone crisply clear against the mad cacophony of destruction, the segmented tail finally tearing off in an arc of dark-green blood. Both the body and core were flung some six hundred feet away into a relatively steep and rocky hill with enough power to bury them into the ground, boulders from the shattered hilltop raining down on the pair.

Finally Eva-01 skidded to a halt, the deep furrow on the ground trailing behind it a silent testament to just how much force had to be expended. It's eyes shone, glaring white and glowing feverishly as it turned to the rubble where the angel had crashed, flinging the angel's torn arm away. It roared again, throwing the gauntlet to its fallen nemesis. It tenuously remained in place as if waiting for a response; motionless, like a coiled viper ready to explode into action as the slightest hint of a threat. A few seconds later the rocks shifted, followed immediately by another black orb lobbed straight at the Eva. It was batted out the air almost contemptuously, detonating in the background. Bright eyes, manic eyes, continued to watch the restless debris like a hawk until the core, its surface now dusted with grime and two of its four points broken raggedly, shook free of the rocks and floated back into view, dust and fine dirt trickling down from numerous places. It then proceeded to drift away just as the body started to haul itself out of the rubble, an action that didn't get very far.

Without warning Eva-01's feet smashed down from the sky, driving the angel's body back into its rocky grave, closing the distance in a single impossible leap. Ignoring the core as it circled wide behind, the Eva focused its murderous rage on the twitching mass beneath it, hammering with fists and tearing off chunks of flesh with its bare hands in rabid fury. The body's remaining segmented arm made a feebly attempt to counter-attack; in a blink it was promptly caught, torn off and cast aside. Straddling the now helpless body Eva-01 returned to its gruesome work, its face and torso grotesquely painted in the angel's blood. Finally it grasped the shoulders, one hand on each side, then heaved, cording powerful muscles as it attempted to rip the angel's body in two. Moments passed as the thing was stretched to its limit, at any moment ready to tear apart, when out of nowhere the core slammed into the Eva's back, the collision throwing it away from the body and into a sparse thicket some few hundred feet forward, uprooting the trees that were in its path.

The Eva leaped back to its feet a moment later, roaring in anger as this time it rushed the floating red orb. The core was deceptively agile, weaving through the air and easily avoiding the Eva's grasping hands. It led the the attacker in a quick erratic dance, slowing enticingly for one moment only to flit away out of reach at just as the Eva had closing in, slowly leading it away from the quivering body. Back at the ruined hill what was left of the angel's body slowly rose, its wounds mending, uncountable spasms jolting it at odd angles as shattered bones within reset themselves. Its rate of regeneration was nothing short of miraculous, a thing that even NERV bio-specialists would have attested impossible until it they saw it with their own eyes. Barely thirty seconds have passed and the angel was nearly whole, the last of its gaping wounds closing, the two arms that were torn off now bubbling stumps at the back of the body, thrusting ever outward. Out in the distance Eva-01 continued its futile chase, oblivious to the imminent danger that was rearing up behind.

--

Sobs, she thought. That it was the first thing that came to her mind as she hung motionless in the darkness, recognizing the soft sounds that filled her ears. It seemed to come from a great distance yet it echoed from all around her, insistent and pulling at her silent emotions. It commanded attention and forced her to think, as if the distant sobbing should have meant something important. Imbued with a growning sense of urgency she blindly floated through the shadowed corridors of her silent mind, ever faster, pursuing the ghostly whisper deep into darkness. With every moment that passed her desperation grew, her desire to know becoming a frenzied hunt in the pool of shadows until without warning she broke the surface of its murky depths into clarity, her memories all coming back in a disorienting rush.

-_Faye!_-

Asuka awoke to burning pain inside Eva-02's bright entry plug, a helpless moan escaping her lips. It felt as if her whole body were blistered and raw to the touch, her every minute movement answered by deep biting stings. She remained very still while her eyes darted from screen to screen, trying to reorient herself as much as she can. All she can remember was that only a few minutes before she was standing guard by the shore with her back to the water when _something_ blasted her from behind. She seemed to have passed out and was lying down with her face on the ground, hurting like hell. All that only took a few moments, then she swallowed hard as she forced herself to ignore the pain for the sake of a friend.

"Faye?" Asuka called out hoarsely, addressing the sobbing girl through the open comm-channel.

Faye's tear-stained face didn't move an inch. "Oh god, Asuka, I _hurt_ so much." the blonde answered, her voice trembling.

The red-head scrunched her own eyes shut in dismay, thankful that the other girl couldn't notice the tears that leaked down her face. Faye was at the edge of hysteria and ready to fall in at any moment, whatever torture she felt from the link with her Eva no doubt too much to handle, especially since this was her first mission. Asuka once again looked around, confirming what she already knew: she couldn't see what was happening but she _felt_ that something was going on; the ground shook like crazy. She saw that Eva-03 was on its knees with its arms wrapped around its head in defense, and knew that it also could probably see what was going on out there. It was up to Asuka to keep Faye from breaking down and right now the redhead knew that she had to be a beacon of strength, a lifeline the blonde could cling to no matter how hard or painful things were right now. For her friend and possibly for everyone as well. Asuka forced steel into her voice.

"Do you know what's happening?"

"I don't know. I can't see. I can't _move_, Asuka! My whole body feels like its on fire and moving only makes it _worse_!"

"You've got to move your arms, Faye-chan. We've got to know what's going on. I can't see from where I am so you've got to tell me what's happening."

"No, I can't! It hurts too much!" the blonde started wailing.

"Stop that!" Asuka snapped, her voice cracking like a whip. "Rei might need us and if you don't do anything she could die. Everybody might die! Do you want that to happen? Do you?" Faye's sobbing cut off raggedly, replaced by hoarse labored breathing. Through the comm-link Asuka saw her friend's face contort as she forced herself to move, probably through unimaginable pain. The verbal slap no doubt hit the other girl deep, and Asuka was only so glad at how effective it had been. She quietly sighed in relief.

-_Good girl_- the redhead thought as she watched Eva-03 slowly lower her arms. She herself locked her jaw and prepared to get to her feet, to ready herself for whatever was coming.

"_Holy shit._"

"What?" Asuka froze, knowing that the words were American but having no idea what they meant. The other girl's tone as she said it, however...

"Faye, what's wrong-" She trailed off when she heard the distant howls, at once recognizing them for what they were.

"_Oh my god_." The blonde's voice was a strange mix of awe and horror, no doubt because of what she's seeing, and Asuka can imagine what that was. Her own memories of Eva-01 going berserk was vividly burned in her mind. They were filled with blood, and death.

_Monstrous._

"The angel?" Asuka demanded breathlessly.

Faye was silent for a few moments, then began answering as if in a trance. "It's changed. It separated in two and the core seems to be moving on its own. Same for the body. Shinji's - " the blonde took a ragged breath and swallowed hard before continuing, " - _tearing_ ... into the body, but when he goes off to attack the core the body just, _regenerates,_ then attacks him from the back. He ... doesn't ... seem to know what he's doing." she finished weakly.

-_I can imagine_.- Asuka thought bleakly. "How's Rei?"

"She's on her back quite a ways from both of them. She doesn't look hurt, but she's not moving."

Asuka's mind raced. -_We need to destroy that core. If Faye's right no matter how strong Shinji is right now he can't beat the angel with what he's doing._-With a sudden burst of movement the redhead was finally able to haul herself up into a crouch, barely keeping the scream bottled down her throat. In a strangely detached way she concluded that even walking at her current state would simply be impossible; the pain was too great, blocking out all other sensations vital to body coordination that any attempt would only result with her ending up with her face on the ground again. Most probably Faye would be feeling the same, and that left only Rei. If she can still move, that is. She had to be alright.

Asuka began hailing her fallen friend.

---

Rei's eyes snapped wide when Eva-00 suddenly reactivated, the return of power bringing with it a flood of sensations, most poignant of which was the previous blow she took to the chest. This time she was somewhat prepared, having already felt the worst of the pain, and recuperation was a simple matter of lying very still inside the entry plug. Eyes closed she let her mind float, trying to detach herself from her senses in an effort to speed up her recovery.

"-ei? Rei? Are you al-" Asuka's voice sounding through the comm-link forced Rei back to reality. She opened her eyes and gazed at the two screens that displayed the anxious faces of her friends.

"I'm ok." Rei answered, bringing twin relieved sighs from both girls.

"Good." Asuka began with a wince. "I don't know if you can hear him but Shinji's gone crazy again. Can you move?"

Bracing herself Rei climbed back to her feet, grimacing at her body's reaction to the movement. Swaying unsteadily she took stock of what had happened the last few moments when her Eva-00 blacked out, and once again was greeted with the sight of Eva-01 on a rampage. The angel's core was fully separated from the body, just as she had suspected, both parts of the angel attacking Eva-01 as two independent entities, fully supporting each other with simple, deadly efficiency. When a sudden lunge allowed Eva-01 to grab one of the tapered edges of the floating core a blow behind would cause it to stagger, disrupting the attack and diverting its attention fully, allowing the core to fly to safety. When the body was severely mutilated the core would come rushing in, distracting the Eva yet again and allow the horridly torn body to regenerate only to repeat the process over and over, with Eva-01 obviously unaware of its growing predicament.

Another thing about the angel bothered Rei and a single glance at her back confirmed her suspicion. Her umbilical cable was undamaged and connected properly, yet she had lost power only minutes before.

"Rei?"

"I can move." the blue haired girl answered quietly. "There's something else about that angel that you should know. It somehow drains the Eva's power, even the batteries. I don't know how it does it, but it isn't permanent. I was fully drained just a while ago."

"Aw, goddamn it all to hell! This is just what we need." Asuka fumed. "Listen, Faye and I can't move. Do you have more info about the angel? From the sound of things Shinji isn't doing very well out there. I'll try to think of something we can do."

"I'll try a few things."

Rei carefully watched the furious melee, trying to determine what her objectives are. First, she had to confirm whether or not the angel could truly drain an Eva's power. When Eva-01 turned from the core to engage the angel's body Rei darted forward in an attempt to intercept the floating orb. When she got within two hundred feet of her target the cockpit flashed a warning, reverting to internal batteries. She immediately jumped back, returning her power source to normal while at the same time the core quickly zipped away from her at amazing speed, avoiding Eva-00 and moving in to distract Eva-01 yet again with equal ease.

"The core seems to be the one doing the draining. It's has a field around it that forces the Eva to revert to internal power." Rei reported. "And I'm afraid it's too fast for me to catch. It runs away before I can even get near."

Silence reigned for a few moments as the three girls let the information sink in. "How long does it take before the angel fully drains your batteries?" the redhead asked finally.

Rei's tried to remember. "I'm not sure. A minute, maybe two."

"One minute." the Asuka repeated absently. "Do you think you can chase the core over here so that both Faye and I can see it?"

"I'll try. It does run away from me, so I may get it to go in a general direction. What did you have in mind?"

"AT fields."

Rei blinked. "What?"

"Faye and I will try to trap the core with our AT fields, or atleast slow it down enough so that you can catch the dirty thing and bury a knife deep inside it." Asuka elaborated, her voice laced with ice-cold steel. "You do have your prog knife, right?"

"I've got another one. Are you sure about this?"

"You got anything else?"

With that Rei reached over to her other shoulder and promptly drew her reserve knife. "Eva-01, ready.", she declared as she activated the weapon, its blade humming ominously, using the phrase whose meaning was fully established between each of them during their recent teamwork training.

"Wait, will this work? I don't even have the slightest idea of what to do." Faye suddenly asked with a slight tremor in her voice.

"It's a longshot," Asuka admitted, "but its the best one we have. Just do what I'll do: try to deploy your AT Field to its fullest and when I give the signal try to wrap it around the core."

"Wrap it around the core? How do I do that?"

"Imagine you're throwing out a hand to grasp the red thing, only with your AT Field."

"What-"

"Faye-chan," Asuka cut in roughly, "it'll work. Trust me."

"If you say so." the blonde conceded, not at all sounding convinced. "Eva-03, ready."

"Eva-02, ready." the redhead announced in a grim voice. "Let's go, ladies."

----

Faye already knew how to manipulate her AT Field to some degree; she had spent hours on some of their training sessions doing exactly that. What concerned her was just how desperate their plan sounded. With stakes this high it bothered her that they were risking so much. -_Is there no other way?_- she desperately asked herself, yet she knew deep down that she had nothing else to suggest. This was their best shot and it felt that the slightest mistake would cause the whole scenario to go awry. More to the point, she knew for certain that if anybody would mess up and cause the whole thing to fail, it was going to be her. She was green, inexperienced, out on her first mission and here she was entrusted with the crux of the plan with Asuka. Was trusting her this much the right thing to do? Faye certainly didn't trust herself.

"Don't worry about it, Faye-chan. Just try your best. I'll take care of the rest." Asuka reassured her softly on the comm-link. "C'mon. Rei's moving."

-_There's no turning back now_.- Faye took a deep breath then nodded her thanks to the other girl. She might have accepted whatever would happen but doubts continued to gnaw at her from the inside. Her eyes darted restlessly, uncontrollably, until a glint near her feet made her look down. It was her positron rifle, easily within reach. She must have dropped it when the angel's attack exploded over her arms. Moments passed by, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she continued to stare dumbly at the weapon.

"Faye?" Asuka called worriedly.

Before the thought even came to her Faye had snatched the rifle from the ground, the sudden movement sending waves of pain down her body. She clenched her teeth and shuddered but did not stop moving, as recovering her weapon was only half of what her body intended. Knees locked and shoulders in position she had the rifle leveled at the distant core the next moment, completing the familiar action as if she were in a trance. In a way, maybe she was. -_Relax. Breath deeply and exhale softly. Feel your body but keep your eye on your mark. Let all sensations melt until all that's left is you and your target._ _Then you'll know when to pull the trigger._- her sister's voice came to her from the past, guiding her now just as it had the first time Faye held a gun. Only for a few moments did she follow the familiar exercise, but when the blonde opened her eyes her doubt was gone. All that remained was Asuka, Rei, herself and the distant, floating core of the angel.

Her mark.

"I'm ready, Asuka." Faye answered.

"You sure are. Keep your aim up; we might need it later. Heads up, here I go."

A few hundred feet to her side the blonde felt Eva-02's AT Field expand and took that as her queue. Keeping her aim on the core she focused her mind inward and imagined that she was diving into the warm, pulsing light that was her center. Then she began pushing out. The air blurred around Eva-03, earth and rocks pushed away in an expanding ring around her as as the Eva's AT Field took form. After a few more moments she had the field fully spread out around her, the growing strain of maintaining it making her grit her teeth uncomfortably, while Asuka's kept expanding until it peaked out about a third larger than her's.

"Good job. Keep it like that until I give the signal." the redhead advised, although Faye noted that her friend's voice was strained.

All this time her green eyes never left her quarry. Out in the open Faye watched as Eva-00 tried its best to chase the angel's core toward their position. It truly was fast; by herself Rei would surely have no chance to even get near the thing, not before it outdistances her in a flash. There was very little that her friend could do to control the core's movement; all that was consistent was that it was running away from Eva-00 while continuing to harry Eva-01 whenever possible. When another swoop brought the core near its body Faye's sight automatically shifted to study Eva-01's status. If not for her utter focus on the core and detachment from everything else she would have been horrified at the sheer animal brutality that Shinji displayed; as it was her eyes merely flicked over the carnage, coldly noting their position before returning once again to her prey. Slowly Rei inched the red orb closer to the ocean, Faye barely holding on to her AT field without being aware of it, until Asuka finally gave the signal.

"Now!" the redhead barked and a moment later Faye felt Eva-02's AT field vanish. Immediately she imagined her AT field wrapped around the core, like a fist twisting its grip ever tighter. The next instant she felt her AT Field _shift _away from her and reappear around the core in tight ring, pressing against several feet of empty space that could only be Eva-02's AT Field. Everything seemed to work out just as they thought it would; the core was slowed to a virtual stop and in a few more seconds Eva-00 would be beside it. However, the truth was far more frightening. The core appeared motionless but inside their invisible net struggled like a crazed animal, its lack of movement belying such frenzied efforts to break free. It sensed any sort of weakness on the shifting shell of the combined AT field, viciously attacking such spots only to shift on to another when the two girls tried to fortify its previous target.

"Rei, hurry!" Asuka called out in a tight voice.

As if in response Eva-00 appeared beside the core and wasted no time. She lunged at the bundle of AT fields knife first, the vibrating blade producing a fountain of sparks as it made contact. All progressive weapons were made to to cut through AT Fields, this one being no exception, but cutting through the combined strength of all three Fields over the angel was proving to be a critical miscalculation. It had already been over a minute, and Rei was barely through the first layer.

"I won't make it!" cried the blue haired girl.

The strain of holding the angel down also took its toll on both her and Asuka. Faye distantly noted that at any moment now she was going to lose her grip with her AT field and was sure that Asuka was also down on her last wind. Seconds ticked by, seeming to slow; Rei was through Asuka's AT field and had gouged the last barrier before she finally shut down, her power fully drained by the angel. As if sensing that the whole strategy was starting to crumble the core began acting up, doubling its efforts to break free.

"Ok, Faye. Here's plan B." Asuka said weakly, obviously spent. No other words came from her, only the slight change at the shape of her AT Field that the blonde immediately understood. Faye dropped her own field around the angel at once, holding the last of her strength in reserve as she gathered her AT Field in a small, dense knot. Now, if only the angel sees what Asuka had done...

The apparent weakness in the remaining barrier that sealed the core's movements was not missed. With explosive strength the red orb broke through the spot, rushing forward in a corridor made from Asuka's rapidly weakening AT Field, only to meet Faye on the other end with her positron rifle leveled straight at it.

_"__Go to hell._" the blonde snarled as pulled the trigger, throwing the dense fist of her AT Field out at the same time.

The first few bullets hit the angel's weakened AT Field, bringing it down in a shower of exploding shells until it finally punched through, ripping completely through the core. At once the glow left it; as if strings above it were cut it crashed, bouncing on the ground until it rolled to a stop right in front of Eva-03's crouching form.

For the longest time the only sounds that filled Faye's entry plug were the hoarse breathing of all three girls. They were weary to the bone and right now the three were content on simply getting some of their strength back.

"Nice shooting, Faye-chan." Asuka croaked finally. Faye smiled wanly and shook her head, but just as she was about to reply a scream ripped out of Rei.

"Ikari-kun, no!"

Faye's head whirled towards Eva-00. Rei had her knife in front of her defensively, facing Eva-01 as it charged toward her at full speed. She tried to move, to raise her arms, anything she can do to help but found that she had no strength left. She can only watch in horror as Shinji bore down on Rei, at any moment about to reach Eva-00 and tear it apart in its bloodlust. She couldn't even find strength enough to scream.

Abruptly Eva-01 slowed down to a walk, its arms dropping and its shoulders drooping as if in exhaustion. The manic glow left its eyes as it turned to face Eva-00.

"Ayanami?" Shinji's voice, hoarse from screaming, suddenly sounded from the voice only comm-link.

-----

Misato vigorously scratched her bandanged arm in irritation, wincing as her bruised shoulder protested the sudden movement. It was nearly two hours after the angel had been neutralized, the NERV personnel wisely evacuating the crumbling control tower while the Evas had done battled outside. Nearly everyone inside the control room was injured in some way, Misato herself had her broken right-arm in a sling around her neck. The final report counted two NERV personnel killed, their bodies crushed under the enormous weight of collapsed walls. She was told that it was Commander Ikari himself who led the search and rescue attempt, single-handedly rousing the whole of NERV and taking command during such a desperate time. Misato hated him but she had to nod her head in grudging respect; if not for his efficiency and thoroughness she might still trapped inside the tower. Ambulances had been called immediately to care for the seriously wounded, while the rest were given sufficient first aid to finish what they had come here for. Just a few minutes ago NERV chartered tugboats have finally pulled the cargo ship over the wharf. The ship was derelict; there was absolutely no sign of the crew nor of the three smaller ships that escorted it. The most probable explanation was that they escaped during the angel attack.

"How's our cargo, Hyuuga-kun?" Misato asked without turning. The ocean breeze caught the edge of her coat, making it flutter.

"It's intact, Major." Hyuuga answered behind her, frowning as he typed on the mobile computer where he studied his data. "It's strange though."

"Strange?" Ritsuko asked sharply as she limped over to join the two, awkward in her crutches.

"Yes, Doctor. See here?" Hyuuga pointed at the screen for the benefit of both women, showing the distorted image of the scanned angel a few hours before compared to the most recent image. "A few hours ago there were all these streaks around the image, and I don't know what they hell they were. Now all I see are the normal magnetic distortions."

Misato shared a look with her blonde friend, apparently thinking about the same thing. -_If that angel activates and becomes hostile right now..._- she glanced over her shoulder at the two Evas standing by the wharf. Both Eva-01 and Eva-00 stood on guard, ready for any kind of threat. Asuka and Faye were included in the list of personnel who were taken back to NERV HQ and mechanics were already hard at work in recovering their grounded Eva units.

"Maybe it's just the Sat-scan's reaction to the angel's customized energy-dampening field." Ritsuko thought out loud, referring to how the angel was able to disrupt energy, either emitted or incumbent, within a given space around it. Misato merely grunted.

"C'mon, let's get down to the hold. The Commander already went there a few minutes ago. I want to see what kind of angel is worth all this trouble." Misato started walking, noting Ritsuko's difficulty and setting a suitable pace.

The three of them made their way down the cargo hold, passing thorough deserted cabins and a large messhall. The entire atmosphere was ghostly; there was hardly any evidence that people had been there at all. The cabins were all neat and uniform in appearance, every article and furniture in every room eerily in place. The messhall looked like it hasn't been used in weeks; dust had gathered thickly over kitchen utensils and dinnerware, and in one corner all the chairs were neatly stacked in piles ten or twenty feet tall. The three trudged in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts, eventually reaching the service elevator and finally began their descent into the enormous cargo hold.

Whatever mystery this cargo ship had for Misato leaped a notch higher when she first glimpsed the inside of the hugh chamber. She somehow expected the whole room filled to the brim with supplies and other contraband, the ship belonging to a smuggling operation and all, but in contast there was hardly anything in the room. A few crates and machinery was all, hardly worth noting when compared to the huge shrouded figure lying on its back in the center of the room. Half of the blanketed figure was hidden from Misato's view by a substantial stack of supplies, so while they wound their way closer her eyes fastened on what they could see. Despite the covering it was obvious that the angel appeared to be humanoid in form, its sleek figure reminiscent of all the humanoid type angels that they've encountered so far. All around it were sophisticated machinery, no doubt used by whomever was there to observe the angel while it lay still. Off to the back, nearly hidden by more equipment, was some kind of tank filled with orange-colored liquid. -_What is that? LCL? Its preposterous but it sure looks like it. __What in the world were they doing here?_- Misato thought, her eyes narrowing. It was the first concrete sign of people being in the ship, and its implications were not good. No, not good at all. -_I wonder what she's_ _thinking right now_. _She certainly knows more about those equipment that I do._- Misato thought, glancing at Ritsuko as they rounded the final corner to the angel. She had hoped to see some kind of reaction in the blonde scientist's face, but she didn't expect anything like this. Ritsuko's face was ashen, her mouth open as a strangled gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes were wide with shock, seemingly horrified at what she was seeing. Alarmed, Misato's head whipped back to the angel.

Having passed the last of the crates that lead to the center of the room they now had a full view of the huge figure. It's whole body was fully shrouded in some sort of tarpaulin-like material, tantalizing features hidden from plain sight save for the area around the head where the cover was pulled down in order to connect all the equipment to it. Misato staggered as if she were punched in the gut, staring dumbly at a silver, man-made face with scarlet eyes that seemed to stare right back at her.

It wasn't an angel.

"What..." She swallowed hard, and for a few moments her voice failed her. "What the _fuck_ is this?" came the question that was undoubtedly the thought of all three right at that moment.

It was Gendou who answered their stunned query, stepping out from the shadows behind them, his voice as cold and distant as his eyes, unreadable as they gazed on the massive figure in the middle of the cargo hold.

"That, Major, is Evangelion Unit 04."

* * *

CHAPTER 05 END 


End file.
